A homeowner fed up with intruders in his driveway said a £34 tool helped protect his home and saved him a fortune.
The man said his DIY bollards stopped nosy criminals from sneaking onto his property and the job cost just £300 in total.
The anonymous driver decided enough was enough after brazen thieves took his beloved motorhome, which was parked out front.
He wrote: “After our motorhome was stolen in January, I thought I would share my experience trying to bolster our newly arrived replacement.”
After the burglary, he decided to purchase a Growler alarm and a Non Starter, which prevents the engine from starting, but felt a visual deterrent was still needed to prevent intruders from gaining access to his driveway.
A caravan owner has taken matters into his own hands to protect his driveway from intruders – and it only cost him £300, including a handy £34 tool from Screwfix (file image)
The motorhome owner then came up with the idea of installing retractable bollards and began seeking quotes from professionals, who suggested it would cost between £2,500 and £3,000.
He said Motorhome fun: ‘I didn’t want to put bollards at the entrance because I knew we would soon forget or not bother putting them up every night, and the aim was specifically to protect my new motorhome.
‘I was surprised to receive quotes of £2,500 and £3,000 for three retractable bollards supplied and installed.
“I explained that we live near the beach and our house sits on sand; just a foot below the ground is sand, so it’s easy to dig, but I didn’t budge on the price.”
Undeterred, the motorist rolled up his sleeves and embarked on a mission to find a more affordable alternative.
Armed with determination and a DIY spirit, he headed to his local Screwfix to purchase a drill for the modest sum of £34, allowing him to dig a one-metre-deep hole to fit the bollards.
He said: “I was a bit skeptical but it needed about 1 meter deep, after just 5 minutes it had gone down 1.5 meters and I had to refill it.”
He then searched the internet for the materials needed to install his own set of bollards and was able to source the same items the company would have used for just £90.
Armed with determination and a DIY spirit, he headed to Screwfix to buy a £34 hole digger, which allowed him to dig a one meter deep hole to fit retractable bollards (file image)
He added: ‘After a bit of post-creme and shavings I soon had the bollards in place, then I raised the two at the rear slightly as the road sloped and I wanted to make sure they were high enough. It probably wasn’t necessary, but it was better to be sure.
In total, the motorhome owner spent £300 on three bollards, an excavator and filling materials; He spent just a tenth of the cost quoted by the professionals and saved a whopping £2,700 to keep his new vehicle safe.
He said: “I hope this helps anyone thinking about installing bollards. I’m usually a disaster at DIY, so if I can do it, anyone can do it.”
The RAC previously recommended installing your own bollards as a method of preventing people from parking in your path.
It comes after furious Suffolk residents told how students are making their lives a misery by leaving their cars outside their homes, with some locals leaving nasty notes to stop youngsters parking in the area.