Home insurance during renovations – what you need to know

Living

3 min read

There are lots of things to think about when renovating your home: How much will it cost? How long will it take? How will it look when it’s done?

But one of the key things to consider is the impact on your home insurance during renovations.

Am I covered by my existing home insurance during renovations?

Small projects like redecorating or updating your kitchen should be covered by your existing home insurance policy.

But your policy won’t normally cover the risks associated with larger scale renovation projects like a loft conversion or an extension to your house.

You will probably need specialist cover in addition to your existing home insurance during renovations to protect against these risks.

What risks are associated with renovations?

There are a number of risks associated with renovations. Specialist cover can ensure you’re fully covered against these risks by your home insurance during renovations.

Risks include:

• Theft or vandalism of equipment and machinery: there is an increased risk of theft or vandalism when you’re renovating, especially if a window or door needs to be removed, or you need to leave your home unoccupied for a period of time.
• Accidental damage: renovating work might involve ripping our walls or pulling up floors which could cause damage to pipes, drains or wiring, or sanitary ware like sinks or toilets.
• Physical harm: renovations carry physical risk, no matter how careful you are. For example, somebody could fall from scaffolding or trip over building materials. If your contractor doesn’t have public liability insurance to cover against injury to neighbours or the public, you’ll need to.

What if I do the work myself?

You’ll still need to add specialist cover to your home insurance during renovations even if you do the work yourself.

If your existing home insurance policy includes accidental damage, you may be covered for minor mishaps, like drilling through a pipe.

But you’re unlikely to be covered for large scale DIY projects because the risks still exist – meaning you could be left out of pocket if something goes wrong.

If you’re carrying out the renovations yourself, you may need to add a renovation or self-build policy to your home insurance depending on the type of building work being carried out.

You should reach out to your insurer or a broker like AbbeyAutoline to check.

Always contact your insurer before starting the work

You’ll contact your insurance company before starting any renovation work, regardless of the scale of the project.

Failure to let your insurer know about the work could invalidate your home insurance during renovations and leave you unprotected should the worst happen.

Renovating can also affect the rebuild cost of your house. Insurers use this to calculate your premium so your home may need re-evaluated or you could be left under-insured.

AbbeyAutoline offers tailored self-build and renovation insurance cover. Call us on 08000 66 55 44 to speak to an expert local adviser today (or you can also get a standard home insurance quote online).