DIY Woodworking, Home Improvement, and Art Projects

Conducting your own home improvements is a fantastic way to add value to your property, and to make it more individual, without the expense of hiring someone else to carry out the work for you. If you are a dab hand at DIY, it may well be that you have already found a variety of ways to adapt and improve your home, using only your own creative vision and practical skills. However, it is worth considering how such domestic improvements could affect the amount you need to be paying on your home insurance, should you have increased the value of your home significantly. After all your hard work, you will no doubt want to be sure that your household is protected fully, and to its full value.

It may surprise you to discover just how much you could have increased the value of your home through DIY work. Interior aesthetics have a huge effect on the amount you could expect to put your property on the market for, should you ever decide to sell, especially if your home improvements are a little artistically inclined. The odd creative and original touch can be a major selling point, so if you’ve carried out extensive improvements or added a great deal of extra detail it might be worth having your property carefully evaluated before you renew your home insurance.

Your home insurance covers everything, from the very foundations and the vital structure of the buildings you live in to the contents of every room, electrical equipment, any possessions of exceptional value, as well as everything that is dear to you and makes your house feel like home. If you have played a major role, by employing all your handiest DIY skills, in making your home the place it is today, it will, no doubt, be even more in your interests to protect all your efforts. In this light, then, home insurance is one of the most important expenditures of the year and should be considered carefully each time it comes up for renewal. Doing thorough research will help you to have confidence in your final decision when you can rest assured that your property will be fully looked after, whatever happens.

Check websites, and listen to word of mouth. The internet holds a host of insurance providers, all offering their own special offers and deals. Have a look at the Kwik Fit Insurance website to see what they offer – they are well reputed for car repair, but have branched out and now include property coverage on their website. Check their house insurance policies for details of what they include in their coverage.

If you are a DIY enthusiast, who relishes in taking charge of their own home improvement initiatives, then it may be that you have acquired a considerable collection of tools and electrical items in order to help you execute your creative visions within the home. If you own an expensive drill, a snazzy tool box full of the latest gadgets, a digital spirit level, or, indeed, all of the above, your DIY equipment could tot up significant cash value, particularly if you insist on always having the top of the range tools at your fingertips.

Surprisingly, DIY equipment is often overlooked when it comes to our contents insurance and, in the face of the unfortunate events of burglary, flooding or fire. If you are anxious to make sure that your tools are covered in your insurance policy, there are a few factors you might like to consider before getting on the phone to your home insurance provider.

Whether your DIY goods are covered in your insurance may depend on whereabouts they are kept. They are most likely to be covered automatically if they are stored within the building of your house itself, in a cupboard or utility room, though if they have particularly high value this should probably be mentioned on the policy. If, however, you keep your tools in a garage or shed in the garden they may not be covered automatically unless you have a policy which includes garden cover as standard. Some insurers, such as Kwik Fit Insurance, offer a certain allowance for garden contents, but it’s worth looking at this carefully in case the value of your equipment exceeds the amount you may claim. Check the Kwik Fit Insurance website for details of what their contents insurance covers exactly in relation to the rest of their policies.

An alternative option is to insure all outdoor areas, such as the garage and the garden, separately if your existing insurance firm is not obliging about including this within your ordinary policy, though most will be open to some negotiation.

Do remember to check the wording of your policy carefully in order to check that you and your expensive items of DIY equipment are fully protected against any unexpected mishaps.