The DIY paint mistake that could leave you out of pocket when giving your garden fence a refresh
With the easter break in full swing for some people already, many will be eyeing up DIY projects outside.
But before you grab your gear and head out into the garden, you might want to stop and think about what you’ll do if things go wrong.
While refreshing your fence or brightening up your shed might do wonders for your garden, your insurance cover might not cut it if you accidentally give your neighbours a garden makeover too.
Matt Durrant, Insurance Expert and Managing Director of i4me, is a specialist property insurance provider.
He says: “With the best will in the world, painting your fence or garden shed can be a messy job.
“When using a brush or roller, it’s easy for drips to fall over the other side of your fence.
“If you’re lucky, this just means an unsightly streak for your neighbour, which can be quickly painted over.
“If you’re unlucky, however, it could mean stained garden furniture, paving, toys, or even bikes.
“Worse still, if you’re using a paint spray gun, a badly timed gust of wind can leave your neighbour’s windows, brickwork or worst of all, their car speckled with wood stain.”
Matt explains that while your home insurance may cover parts of your garden such as sheds, outbuildings, patios, tools and garden furniture, your neighbour’s garden could be a different story.
He adds: “If something you do accidentally causes damage to their property, that’s where public liability insurance can step in.
“Just be aware — it’s not always a cut-and-dried matter.”
Indeed, if you accidentally cause damage to your neighbour’s property, it is not automatically covered by your insurance.
In fact, in most cases, your neighbour would need to claim on their own insurance policy, under accidental or malicious damage – unless their insurer wanted to pursue you for damages, in which case you would need to rely upon your public liability insurance.
The majority of home insurance policies include public liability cover. But this is not guaranteed.
Matt says: “If your policy doesn’t include public liability, you’ll have to cover any costs if things go wrong.
“If you do have public liability insurance, making a claim will likely result in increased renewal prices/premiums. So, sometimes, it’s worth taking the hit yourself.
“If you’re renting, don’t assume your landlord’s insurance will cover you if something goes wrong. Say you accidentally damage your neighbour’s property while doing DIY — you’d likely need your own contents insurance with public liability cover, or you could be left footing the bill.”
He adds: “So, the lesson is, before you break out the paints or embark on other garden projects that may potentially impact your neighbours, check your insurance and take extra care. Your garden dreams could turn into a financial nightmare.”