Building Contents and Insurance for Home Renovations and Refurbishments

























 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Buying a property, moving home or carrying out refurbishments and renovations can be costly and stressful undertakings. Luckily, you can buy a little peace of mind. Building and contents insurance are among various types of consumer indemnity policies that are designed to protect your home and its contents.

No one can predict when man made or natural disasters will strike, and the financial and emotional cost of losing a lifetime`s worth of possessions can be unrecoverable. Building and contents insurance will typically cover you for floods, fire, earthquakes, riots, subsidence, falling objects from an aircraft, impact by vehicles, storms and falling trees or branches.

Generally, insurance does not cover DIY projects, which is crucial to know for anyone who has building or contents insurance or for those embarking upon home refurbishments or renovations. Indeed, personal home improvements, wear and tear and deliberate acts of damage are usually exempt from policies. However, you can add clauses and choose options which may cover some of these. It is of the utmost importance that you check your policy before you accidentally hammer a nail into a water pipe!

Once you are sure that you are insured against any accidents you can turn your attention to home renovation and refurbishment projects. We all know that a new coat of paint can revitalize and brighten up a dull room. Indeed, larger projects, such as a new bathroom or kitchen installation, can totally transform a house into a home.

It is also true, however, that DIY often looks easier than it actually is. More often than not, people embark upon a DIY project only to realize that it encompasses far more than they realized!

For example, painting - in particular, deciding on the colour and the finish. Choosing the right shade of eggshell can be an arduous task in itself! Should you paint an accent wall? Should you wallpaper underneath? Moreover, you must consider sanding down surfaces, filling cracks and defects, sanding down again, applying a base coat, more sanding down, and then possibly two more coats of paint.

Doesn`t sound so easy now? Well then, consider refitting your bathroom or kitchen? Sure, you may be able to get a credit crunch-busting bargain from Homebase for a flat packed shower, or some pretty teak kitchen cupboards, but do you know how to rewire? You will need to dispose of old baths or units, surfaces have to be primed, showers need to be fitted by Corgi registered engineers, floors have to sealed and tiling has to be straight! Oh, and do not forget an extractor fan for ventilation.

With enough care and planning all this can be undertaken by yourself. Especially if you have all the right tools and equipment. However, it can be time consuming and equally expensive. In reality, if you are going to undertake a large renovation or refurbishment project then it is often better to call in the professionals.

If you shop around you should be able to find a quote that falls somewhere within your budget. Choose a reputable firm and do not be afraid of asking for references. You should also find that companies are covered for accidents and damage through Public Liability Acts, further cushioning your peace of mind.

Having undertaken a refurbishment or renovation project, you can now sit back, relax and enjoy your home. However, if you see your toddler waddling towards your new plasma TV with jam all over their hands, you might want to double check that you have an accidental damage clause in your contents insurance policy.