Remodelling Risks And Your Home Insurance

By Alexander Standten


Deciding to remodel a home is not something that homeowners take lightly. It's usually pretty costly to do, and take a huge amount of time and effort. However, remodelling is a great option for making your home feel like new and increasing its value.

If you are considering a home renovation, big or small, there are details to consider. The budget needs to be sorted out, and you need to think about the timing of the work, and how long it will take. With all of the planning people do, they sometimes forget that their home insurance could be affected by this work.

For a regular home insurance policy, minor renovations and repairs will not usually affect the coverage, but talk to your provider to be sure that your work is not in the list of exceptions that may apply. Prior to beginning your remodelling, take a look at your home insurance policy and speak with your insurance provider. Three of the likely exceptions that may affect your insurance coverage during renovations are:

If you are planning on hiring a contractor to work on your home, then you need to talk about insurance before having their crew set foot on your property. Ask both the contractor and his or her subcontractors for proof of liability insurance.

This type of insurance coverage is mainly used as a safeguard against liability caused by injury and damages. Be sure to investigate what the extension of the coverage is, when the policy will expire, and the limits. In most states this is required by law, however looking into it is wise. If an accident does occur on your property during renovations, you will be glad that you are insured as it could be a major issue if you are not.

Being covered by insurance isn't a reason to have lax safety standards, be sure that any hazardous situations on the site are dealt with properly. Lawsuits can be filed if there is negligence involved. Be sure that your contractors are vetted by people you trust before you hire them.

You will need to calculate how much your renovations will add to the value of your home before you start the work. If the coverage is not increased, there will not be enough protection, and many homeowners fail to do this. Be sure that your coverage is adequate during the renovation process and afterwards by going over your policy with your insurance agent.

While certain kinds of renovations are being completed, your home could be more susceptible to theft or damages from weather. Sometimes a family may be required to stay somewhere else during extensive remodelling, and if this is the case, the basic home insurance policy might not be applicable.

It appears that the majority of insurance providers cease coverage on homes that are left unoccupied for over thirty days. Extra coverage will be necessary if this is applicable to you. A vacancy permit may be granted by some insurance providers, which will protect against certain perils such as wind and fire. For further coverage, an insurer may offer vacancy insurance but many insurance companies are wary about insuring vacant homes due to the heightened chance of something happening. When your home is being renovated and will be empty for a time, be sure that you speak with your home insurance provider.




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