One in ten April Fools' Day pranks result in damage to homes

April Fools’ Day is a day that you either love or hate – but usually leave to school children. Despite that, on this day every year, numerous adults see fit to play tricks on family members that lead to significant damage to their homes. 

A poll of 2,000 found that 88 per cent of those asked have pulled an April Fools’ Day prank in previous years, and 14 per cent of them had managed to cause damage to their homes in the process. That's 246 homes damaged in separate accidents on April Fools' Day alone.

When they were asked to elaborate on what specific household items had been damaged, the following emerged as the top five:

1. Doors/door frames – 25 per cent
2. Household appliances e.g. television, microwaves, etc. – 21 per cent
3. Windows – 17 per cent
4. Walls – 13 per cent
5. Tables – 11 per cent

With the average cost of repairs for these damages ranking up to £150 each – that's £36,900 altogether – you’d better hope that the prank is actually successful. However, 32 per cent revealed that their April Fools’ pranks didn’t actually work as intended, with a further 68 per cent revealing that the damage caused has put them off from pranking in the future. 

Out of the Brits who claim to have pranked in the past, 26 per cent admitted to causing physical damage to themselves, with one in five claiming to have visited A&E as a result. 

What’s more, when asked if they’d filmed their April Fools’ prank, 61 per cent admitted in the poll by Hillary’s that yes they did, of which a huge 74 per cent chose to share the footage on social media or through messaging apps with friends and family.

Feel free to share your April Fools' footage with us, obviously. We may be able to offer advice on the repairs...

• April Fools’ Day prank gone too far? Find out how to repair internal doors