Botched DIY jobs can leave homeowners making a costly home insurance cover claim.

According to some home insurance providers, people should call in the professionals if they want to protect their home insurance premiums.

Despite the time DIY takes, 75 per cent of people prefer to do jobs themselves rather than seek professional help. A recent Cornhill Direct survey showed that ten per cent of UK homeowners start electrical and plumbing jobs without knowing what they are doing and 66 per cent start jobs without having the right tools.

According to Propertyfinder.com, women seem to be the new generation of DIY fans, a quarter of them rating DIY as their top hobby. Female DIY enthusiasts need to consider home contents insurance for women.

Also, Insurer Cornhill Direct research found that people may spend up to £90,000 on DIY during their lifetime. On average, families spend £634 each year on DIY materials and an additional £812 on fittings and furnishings, with an annual bill of more than £1,400.

17 per cent of Brits have DIY disasters, 4 per cent of them resulting in an insurance claim.

DIY mishaps can cost significant sums of money if homeowners do not have adequate home insurance cover.

Simon Coughlin, spokesman for Cornhill Direct said: "We have seen our fair share of DIY related claims over the years so people should make sure they know what they're doing and use the right tools for the job."

"DIY enthusiasts should definitely check to see if their home insurance cover insures them for the cost of accidental damage just in case a DIY job goes horribly wrong," he added.

It is also very important to update your home insurance cover after a successful DIY project has been completed.