Cowboys, bodgers, fly-by-nights: call them what you will but rogue workmen can spell big trouble for homeowners. The true extent of the problems they cause has recently been revealed by research from Santander Insurance UK.

We all like a bargain but time and time again it has been proven that taking the cheapest option without doing your homework can turn out to be false economy. 18% of us have fallen prey to unscrupulous or slapdash builders and it has cost us an average of just under £1600 per job to put the damage right. What’s worse is that over a third of us end up having to foot the repair bill ourselves whilst around a fifth of us are still waiting for the damage to be fixed.

Geographically, Londoners are most likely to suffer shoddy workmanship (21%) whilst those in Wales and the Midlands are best off (14%). 25% of victims have had a recommendation from a friend which has turned out to be less than reliable whilst 10% have used a friend who is a builder with disastrous effect, not only for our pocket but our friendship too.

Santander suggest a few tips for avoiding the cowboys:

• Make sure the contractor is a member of a recognised trade body
• Get several quotes and do not just choose the cheapest without researching why it is so cheap; if it seems too good to be true it probably is
• Do not be pressured by the “hard sell”; a reputable workman will not require you to make an instant decision
• Do not agree to pay in advance or in cash

Many of us have been frustrated in the past by the “one size fits all” philosophy adopted by insurance companies. Now the Yorkshire Building Society has come up with the solution. Their new You Choose policy allows homeowners to opt for only the insurance that they actually need. After all, if you are a technophobe there is no reason to pay for insuring expensive equipment which you are never likely to own. Likewise, why pay for garden contents insurance if you live in a flat?

Yorkshire Building Society claims that You Choose is a whole new concept in insurance, which allows customers to take control of what cover they include depending on their lifestyle, and consequently the price which they pay for their policy.

Customers have the choice of three Core Covers, namely Buildings only, Contents only or Building and Contents combined. It is then up to the individual to decide which of the various Extra Cover Options they want to buy.

The options available are as follows:

• Technology and Entertainment – cover provided can be between £500 and £15,000 and includes cover for portable items lost or damaged outside the home
• Personal Items – cover can range from £500 to £25,000 and includes items as diverse as jewellery, credit cards and mobility scooters
• Garden – cover starts at £500 and can be increased up to £10,000. Items included are trees, shrubs, plants, equipment, furniture, garden heaters and outdoor toys
• Accidental Damage – cover is provided for accidental damage to the fabric of the home or contents
• Home Emergency – cover of up to £500 per claim is provided and is designed to include plumbing and electrical repairs as well as accommodation if you have to leave your home due to an emergency
• Legal Expenses – standard cover is up to £50,000 and covers a multitude of situations including tax investigation, personal injury and consumer protection.

For full details of the policy see the Yorkshire Building Society website.

The digital age has allowed us to share every moment of our lives with those around us. The rise of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook has opened the door to new possibilities, and we can now provide real-time updates on anything and everything.

These reports are meant to keep our friends and families better informed, but recent information has suggested that they are not the only ones watching.

The Association of British Insurers has revealed that 40% of Social Network users reveal their holiday plans online, with one in three including details about shorter weekend breaks. It has warned against this practice because this information is being trawled by burglars eager to know when a house is likely to be empty.

The news has led to the suggestion that the social networking activity of an individual making an insurance claim could be taken into account, with insurance companies potentially refusing to pay out if they feel that a customer has been negligent.

However, it has been pointed out that Facebook has a privacy setting which hides personal details and information from members of the public. A spokesman for the organisation said that “just as you would tell a friend about your ­upcoming vacation plans but wouldn’t share your itinerary with a stranger, so you can – and should – use the same common sense on Facebook.”

An alternate course of action that could be taken by insurers is a 10% price increase on insurance premiums. This would cover the rising cost of covering insurance claims from burglaries precipitated by social networking users posting their holiday plans online.

Approximately £4.8 billion was paid out in insurance claims in 2008. On average, 1 in 10 households made a claim.