Many people have gone DIY and home decoration crazy since lockdown began in March, but do you know which jobs you need to tell your insurer about before taking them on?
Here the home insurance experts at Adrian Flux offer some timely advice on the DIY jobs you can tackle, and others you may be planning that you’ll need to notify your insurer about before you begin. If you don’t you may be disappointed in the event of having to make a claim.
Basic DIY should not impact your cover
You don’t need to let your insurer know about very basic DIY jobs around the home but they will want to know if you are planning to lay new carpets, put up new shelves, or repaint the house.
You will also need to let them know if you have projects, perhaps building works, in mind that will affect the overall value or security of your home.
If you are planning structural alterations, such as knocking through internal walls, converting a loft into an extra bedroom or replacement double glazing, you will need to notify your insurer and it is better to do so before you start the work, commission a contractor or buy materials.
You need to notify them too when it comes to a kitchen refit of new sanitary ware for the bathroom.
Your insurer will also want to know about any work that could damage valuables in your home or compromise your home security. For example, will that loft conversion mean you have a hole in the roof for an extended period of time leaving your home vulnerable to the elements or burglary?
Talk to your insurance provider before you start
If in any doubt at all, it is well worth talking to your insurance provider before you start. And every policy is different so make sure you read the small print before you make the call to ensure you know exactly what you are covered for and which fresh risks you will need to be covered for in the future.
Adrian Flux household insurance expert Chelsea Shakespeare said: “We would ask to be notified about any works to your home and that includes fitting carpets, painting walls, installing new kitchens or bathrooms right up to major building works.
“Some policy wordings may include, for example, £20,000 general refurbishment cover as standard, however, we would encourage clients to tell us about any alterations so we can keep in the loop.
“Your insurance will become invalid in circumstances where buildings work are taking place and they haven’t been declared beforehand, especially if they are major works and have contractors in or the home becomes unoccupied as a result.
“Therefore, from the get go of any DIY or building work we encourage declaring it all to us so we can sort the insurance and amend if necessary.”
Will I be covered if my DIY goes wrong?
Genuine DIY problems, such as a nail in a water pipe when hanging a picture or putting your foot through the ceiling, will probably be covered. Check if your policy has accidental damage cover.
But if you are doing something a little more technical — such as running in replacement electric cabling or replacing a loo — you may be disappointed if things go wrong because your claim is likely to fail.
Stay on the safe side and keep building works to the experts and employ the services of a suitable qualified tradesperson who has liability insurance to do so.
Find more advice on whose insurance to claim from and whether your failed DIY will result in a successful claim here.
For value for money household insurance talk to the experts at Adrian Flux. Call 0800 369 8590 for a swift no obligation quote or book a call back at a time that suits you.