Home Improvements? Don’t forget to revise your insurance
When undertaking a home renovation project, people often forget to review their insurance needs, too. Whether your renovation is large or small, undertaking this work means you are both adding to the value of your home and increasing your exposure to risk. To help ensure that your project goes smoothly and that you have the appropriate cover you need, Natasha Root, Private Client Insurance Executive, explains a number of useful points to bear in mind. H ome renovations can be a daunting undertaking, although the rewards, both aesthetic and financial can be considerable. However, When you alert your home insurer of your impending renovations, you must also specify whether you (the homeowner) are the one managing the renovations or if they are being handled by contractors. What kind of insurance you need will In addition to contacting your home insurance provider, there are several pieces of general guidance to consider before you begin your home renovation: 1. Set a hard budget 2. Research contractors and obtain multiple quotes
before you or the contractors raise any tools to begin renovations, you should review your home insurance policy. The reason for this is that your policy may not cover renovations, which means that any damages that occur during the process may not be covered. In fact, 90 per cent of homeowners are unaware that not only do they need to advise their home insurer of any potential building works, but that if they were to carry out the works, their policy may automatically be invalidated.
depend on who is responsible for the renovations, however, regardless of who is conducting the renovations, you should provide your home insurer with the following information:
3.
Organise a storage plan for your furniture and possessions
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The timescale for the work—including a start and end date
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Install temporary security devices— such as locks
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The cost of the project
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A thorough outline of the project
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Names of the individuals conducting the renovations
On average underinsured buildings are covered for only 66% of the amount they should be, and Zoopla data for homes with a market value exceeding £1 million suggests approximately 610,000 high-value homes in Britain are currently underinsured.
of UK properties are underinsured. This will severely reduce the amount paid to you following a property damage claim.
of UK properties are overinsured , meaning the homeowner is paying on average 132% of the correct amount for their insurance.
*Data derived from 26,861 valuations by RebuildCostAssessment.com between September 2021 and August 2022
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