People are now spending around £7,400 every couple of years on getting someone in to improve their home - but one in ten told researchers for Direct Line Home Insurance that they then had to bring a second firm in to sort out problems caused by the cowboys.

The insurance company is reminding homeowners to insist on a guarantee when they have work carried out.

Spokeswoman Carmel McCarthy told icWales:

"The best approach is to hire a tradesperson from an approved network and always ensure that in the event that problems occur, they will be rectified quickly."