Homeowners are increasingly having to call on professionals to repair damage after "botching" DIY jobs, a new study has shown.
The popularity of online tutorial videos has made complicated tasks look easy and persuaded people to tackle work ranging from plastering to decorating, said insurance firm LV=.
Its survey of 2,000 adults showed that one in 25 had damaged their property because of poor DIY and they collectively forked out millions of pounds to have work done properly.
Jobs most likely to go wrong include sealing a bath or shower or filling in cracks in walls, said the report.
Many of the DIY disasters were said to have caused water damage or resulted in electrical faults.
Selwyn Fernandes, managing director of LV= home insurance, said: "August Bank Holiday is a key time for homeowners to undertake some DIY, but they need to be realistic about how much they can achieve without professional help."
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