Home Renovation Insurance | Saga Home Insurance
Whether you’re fitting a new kitchen, converting a loft or extending the house for that open-plan living space you’ve always dreamed of, you’ll want to ensure you have the right home insurance cover to keep your home protected.
Our home insurance covers renovation work in most cases, so your home will remain protected while you’ve got the builders in. Remember to keep your insurers up to date with your plans before any renovations start.
What is home renovation insurance?
Home renovation insurance covers you for the things that might go wrong while your building works are being carried out. A collapsed wall. A serious fire. A theft. If the unexpected happens, renovation insurance helps to cover the cost.
Does home insurance cover renovations?
This depends on your home insurance provider. If you have chosen to include accidental damage on your policy, most insurers will cover you for accidents that happen during redecorating or DIY. If you want to make structural changes or need to erect scaffolding then you might not be covered.
To make sure your home stays protected, you should always contact your provider before you get started with the project to let them know your plans and find out if your home will still be covered.
With Saga Home Insurance, renovations are usually covered, as long as you let us know in advance. We may not accept all renovations though, particularly if the work isn’t being carried out by qualified professionals.
Do I need separate home insurance to cover renovations?
Generally speaking, no. If renovation insurance isn’t included in your existing home insurance policy, it can often be added as an extra. At Saga, we may need to set up a replacement policy with a different underwriter, depending on the size and type of work, this may increase your price.
What does Saga home renovation insurance cover?
We continue to cover your home and its contents in line with your standard home insurance cover, plus the following:
- Damage to your building and contents during renovations, including fire and flooding
- If you have to move out during work being carried out we continue to offer the same level of cover for up to 60 days
- Subsidence or a landslip during the works
- Damage to neighbouring properties as a result of the renovations
- Theft or damage of your personal possessions (as long as the property is fully furnished and can be lived in)
What doesn’t Saga home renovation insurance cover?
There are certain circumstances that aren’t covered by our home insurance during renovations:
- Liability arising from the activities of any contractors
- Damage caused by the builders themselves
- Loss of/damage to any unfixed building materials, for example plasterboard not yet fixed to your walls
Most of these exclusions are because the building firm should have their own liability cover in place for these events.
If the property isn’t fully furnished for habitation and can’t be lived in during the work, we also can’t cover:
- Theft (or attempted theft)
- Escape of water
Should I inform my insurer about renovation work?
Yes. Definitely. If you don’t, any claim you try to make may be rejected on the grounds of non-disclosure. You don’t need to tell us about routine maintenance or painting/decorating (unless it requires putting up scaffolding) — just about significant renovations, extensions or other structural alterations.
If in doubt, get in touch and ask.
Will home renovations make my premiums go up?
It depends. There may be a higher premium to pay if we have to find a different underwriter to accept the risk of a lengthier and more costly renovation (like a multi-storey extension).
If your renovations have increased the number of bedrooms in your home or significantly added to the rebuild value of the property, this could also increase the cost of future cover.
We don’t charge any kind of standard fee for renovation work though, so if none of the above applies, there may not be any extra cost.
If you have any questions about home renovation insurance, get in touch with our team on 0800 068 3410 and we’ll be happy to help.
Who are Saga’s home insurance policies underwritten by?
Our policies, exclusively for people over 50, are underwritten by several different insurers. We handpick these companies very carefully, and make sure they have the same high standards of quality and service as we do. If you buy a policy from us you’ll see the name of the underwriter(s) in your policy documents.