Terms of Service

Last updated: 29 March 2026

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the DIY Housebuilder website at diy-housebuilder.com and the DIY Housebuilder mobile applications (together, the "Service"), operated by DIY Housebuilder ("we", "us", "our").

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. The Service

DIY Housebuilder is a receipt management and VAT reclaim tool designed for individuals undertaking self-build housing projects in the United Kingdom. The Service helps you to:

  • Upload and digitise building material receipts
  • Extract data from receipts using optical character recognition (OCR)
  • Validate receipt data and check line items against HMRC eligibility criteria
  • Track spending, suppliers and claimable VAT
  • Generate pre-filled VAT431NB claim forms and export documents for submission to HMRC

3. Account Registration

To use the Service you must create an account by providing a valid email address. You are responsible for:

  • Providing accurate and complete registration information
  • Maintaining the security of your account credentials
  • All activity that occurs under your account

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. Each account is associated with a single self-build project.

4. Pricing and Payment

The Service is available for a one-off payment of £175, which provides 18 months of full access from the date of purchase.

After the initial 18-month period, you may choose to extend your access at a rate of £10 per month. There is no automatic renewal — you will only be charged if you actively choose to extend.

Payments are processed securely by Stripe. By making a payment you also agree to Stripe's terms of service.

5. Free Trial and Beta Access

We may offer a free trial period or beta access at our discretion. During a free trial or beta period you have full access to the Service. We reserve the right to modify or end trial/beta programmes at any time with reasonable notice.

Beta testers may experience features that are still in development. We welcome feedback but make no guarantees about the availability or performance of beta features.

6. Your Data and Content

You retain ownership of all data, images and documents you upload to the Service ("Your Content"). By uploading content you grant us a limited licence to process, store and display it solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

You are responsible for ensuring that:

  • Your Content does not infringe any third-party rights
  • Receipt data and claim information you provide is accurate and truthful
  • You have the right to upload any documents or images you submit

7. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or to submit fraudulent claims
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Service or other users' accounts
  • Reverse engineer, decompile or attempt to extract the source code of the Service
  • Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access the Service without our written permission
  • Upload malicious files, viruses or harmful code
  • Resell, sublicense or commercially exploit the Service without our consent

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you breach these Terms.

8. HMRC Claim Disclaimer

The Service is a tool to help you organise and prepare your VAT reclaim. We do not submit claims on your behalf, and we are not a tax advisor.

While the Service checks line items against HMRC's published list of allowable goods and validates receipt data, we do not guarantee:

  • That HMRC will accept your claim or any particular receipt
  • The accuracy of OCR data extraction — you are responsible for reviewing and correcting extracted data
  • The completeness or correctness of HMRC eligibility classifications — these are provided as guidance only
  • Any specific refund amount

You are solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of your VAT claim submission. We strongly recommend reviewing all data before submitting to HMRC and seeking professional tax advice if you are unsure about any aspect of your claim.

9. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, code, features, branding and documentation, is owned by DIY Housebuilder and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. These Terms do not grant you any rights to our intellectual property except the limited right to use the Service as described herein.

10. Availability and Changes

We aim to keep the Service available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may need to perform maintenance, updates or changes that temporarily affect availability.

We reserve the right to modify, update or discontinue features of the Service at any time. If we make material changes that negatively affect your use, we will provide reasonable notice.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied
  • We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free, secure or uninterrupted
  • We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service
  • Our total liability to you for any claims arising from or related to the Service shall not exceed the amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

12. Refunds

Given the digital nature of the Service, refunds are provided at our discretion. If you experience a significant issue that prevents you from using the Service, please contact us within 14 days of purchase and we will work with you to resolve it or provide a refund where appropriate.

13. Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time from the Settings page. Upon deletion:

  • Your personal data will be removed within 30 days
  • Any uploaded receipts and documents will be permanently deleted
  • This action cannot be undone

We may suspend or terminate your account if you breach these Terms, with or without notice depending on the severity of the breach.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us: