With Hard home truths on the DIY pitfalls

IN these annoyingly uncertain times, with Brexit and recession worries, many people are making home improvements rather than moving.

But things can go horribly wrong if you give your house a face lift – and leave you out of pocket.

One reader, Quinton, converted his internal double garage into a bedroom 18 months ago.

The whole of his downstairs was flooded this month so he made a claim on his insurance.

When the assessor came out to his property, in Derbyshire, he asked when the garage had been converted and if Quinton had planning permission.

Destroyed

Quinton gave him a copy of the planning certificate and thought all was OK.

But three days later he received a letter saying his claim was being rejected as he had failed to notify them of the conversion. So his policy was void.

Another reader, Edward, installed a new kitchen in July 2018, which set him back £22,500.

In May this year his kitchen caught fire and the whole room was destroyed, plus the utility room and part of his hallway.

When Edward, from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, put his claim in, the insurance provider made inquiries about the kitchen, over the amount it cost. They then refused to cover the entire amount on the basis Edward had not informed them of it.

Lisa, another reader, describes herself and her husband as DIY enthusiasts.

They took on a big project, dividing one of their bedrooms into two, which involved building a wall and an additional doorway.

Following a house fire they put in a claim and stated it was a four-bedroom house.

The i nsurance provider questioned this. According to their records the house, in Reading, Berkshire, had three bedrooms. They asked for details as to when the change happened and how much the works cost.

Lisa said they had carried out the conversion themselves, which is why the cost was low.

Following this, the claim was rejected because they had not got an experienced builder to carry out the work.

Luckily the insurers had a change of heart and paid out. But it shows that this is yet another excuse they might use.

See more advice from Dean on theconsumerlawyer.blog.