Home Insurance Renewal with planned Building Work

united4ever

Renewal has always been easy but this time I have to consider that our home will have a part 2 storey, part single storey rear and side extension in the next 12 months.

I normally just use confused.com. They have a question 'Is there any building works in progress?' which there isn't yet but there will be. If I change it to there is building works in progress the quote hours up £40 but its not clear what exactly it covers but it states it doesn't cover accidental damage.

What do people normally do? of course I could renew at the normal price based on no building work and call them up when building work starts but then you are in a position where it is much easier to take what they offer you rather than cancelling that policy and comparing the whole of the market to take a new policy on the basis of building work being in progress.

maman

I, like you, normally use a comparison site for my insurance.

I had a policy in place but building work was planned to start during the year. I rang them when work was due to start and when they heard the cost of the work (£100K+) they told me that they didn't cover that level of work and refunded me the remaining months.

I went to a local broker and took out specialist insurance for 6 months with an option to extend if needed. Although the work wasn't fully completed in the 6 months, the building was secure and only internal work needed so I was able to take out a 'normal' policy again.

united4ever

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120916#Comment_82120916

Thanks, do you mind sharing the cost for the insurance for the build period

GrubbyGirl_2

I have to confess I didn't even know you were supposed to inform your insurer when having building work done and I had an extensive refurb done (£129k), I was however still living there amongst it. I wouldn't suggest you do that and I guess I was lucky.

One thing that did surprise me though was the fact that when I renewed I declared one less bedroom and one more bathroom as I had the smallest bedroom made into an ensuite, they never asked about building work even though the spec had changed. I had expected my premiums to go up as more potential for water damage but just the opposite happened it went down

maman

No problem @united4ever , we paid £577 in total made up of £535 for the renovation insurance on buildings and £142 for contents.

I think your story is quite common @GrubbyGirl_2 , a number of friends in conversation have told us the same.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82121004#Comment_82121004

Unfortunately most people dont read their policy books which will have told you that you need to inform them of any structural work… hell, most people dont even read the questions they are answering or the assumptions they are agreeing to let alone the polciybook when it arrives.

Changing a bedroom to a bathroom wouldnt necessarily have required declaration plus other than claims, they are interested in the present and the go forward not the past. What may have raised eyebrows more is if you declared the rebuild value of the property has changed substantially which a new extension would do but a simple conversion of bedroom wouldnt. However at the end of the day you were paying for insurance that wouldnt have paid out so whilst a disclosure issue its almost certainly going to be put down as careless rather than intentional so not something thats going to drive them to bar you as a customer or load you to CIFAS for fraud.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120916#Comment_82120916

I had a policy in place but building work was planned to start during the year. I rang them when work was due to start and when they heard the cost of the work (£100K+) they told me that they didn't cover that level of work and refunded me the remaining months.

There was a similar thread on the House forum and IIIRC, different insurers differ in their attitude to renovation work. Up to a level some will apparently continue the normal cover. I think one ( Aviva ?) had a limit of £125K of work.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82123212#Comment_82123212

For many it will be policy dependent not just who the underwriter is. Aviva Signature doesnt state a limit but says any building works other than internal renovation. Aviva Ultra says anything over £500,000, Aviva Complete is anything over £250,000. All the same company but very different limits but aligned to the tier of customer they are aimed at.