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Do I need home insurance for renovations?

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Ashley Seager

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At a glance

  • Major renovations can increase your home insurance premiums 
  • Insurance policies which cover home renovations exist and can be bought independently
  • It is often wise to let your insurer know of your renovation plans before any work commences.

Undertaking renovations to your home can be an exciting project. Painting your living room in a new colour can refresh your living space, while larger building tasks like adding a room can often add value to your home. 

But what effects could this have on your home insurance policy? Will additional rooms force your premium upwards, and does your home insurance plan cover potential accidents during the building phase?

Does home insurance cover renovations?

This will all depend on your level of cover and the extent of your home renovations. But generally, if you’re planning on painting the walls and changing carpets, a standard insurance policy should cover potential accidents. Remember that this is a generalised statement, and you’re still strongly advised to check your policy documents.

Adding a garage or room onto your property, meanwhile, is unlikely to be covered by a common buildings insurance policy. Instead, you can add this level of protection onto your existing home insurance plan or take out a separate policy.  

More details on how this works are discussed below.

Will my home insurance premium go up?

Besides cover for potential accidents, you’ll also need to consider if these renovations will be covered under your existing buildings insurance policy. Major renovations will add value to your home and will therefore likely increase your premium, while smaller renovations won’t require change on your policy documents. This is because a more valuable home increases the risk to your insurer, who would now have to fork out a bigger payout in case of damage or rebuild.  

When should I tell my insurer about my renovations?

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Let your insurer know of your renovation plans before any work commences. This way your insurer will be able to confirm if this will increase your premium and if you need extra cover during the renovation stage.  

Can I insure a home renovation project?

If you’re undertaking a large-scale renovation, and you wish to insure your home for theft or potential damages during this period, then you may need to add additional cover to your home insurance policy. This can either be added to your existing home insurance cover or come in the form of an additional one-off policy.

Remember, if you’re adding additional cover to your plan, it doesn’t hurt to shop around for the best policies.

How can I insure my home renovation project?

A great place to start is by investigating what some of the best-known home insurance providers offer. To do this, visit our home insurance charts today to find the providers who offer the best value for money.

What would this cover entail?

There are various insurers who provide home renovation insurance. This type of cover could include:

  • Damage to your property during renovations
  • Alternative accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable
  • Unoccupied property insurance
  • Theft of work tools during renovations
  • Public liability cover. Although your constructors should have this cover too.
  • Legal cover if disputes arise with your chosen tradesmen.

What type of information will my insurance provider need?

If you do opt for additional home renovation cover, then you’ll likely need the following information at hand:

How long the renovations will take place

For a specialised home renovations policy this will determine the length of your insurance policy.

Whether the home will be unoccupied

If you are looking to add contents insurance cover to your plan then an unoccupied home could increase your risk of burglary. 

The builders used for the renovations

Your insurer would need to investigate if your builders are covered for public liability insurance.

Disclaimer: This information is intended solely to provide guidance and is not financial advice. Moneyfacts will not be liable for any loss arising from your use or reliance on this information. If you are in any doubt, Moneyfacts recommends you obtain independent financial advice.

a man doing some DIY with a dog next to him

At a glance

  • Major renovations can increase your home insurance premiums 
  • Insurance policies which cover home renovations exist and can be bought independently
  • It is often wise to let your insurer know of your renovation plans before any work commences.

Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will never contact you by phone to sell you any financial product. Any calls like this are not from Moneyfacts. Emails sent by Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will always be from news@moneyfacts-news.co.uk. Be ScamSmart.

Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will never contact you by phone to sell you any financial product. Any calls like this are not from Moneyfacts. Emails sent by Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will always be from news@moneyfacts-news.co.uk. Be ScamSmart.