Need for proper insurance stressed

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Homeowners planning to carry out improvements to their property have been warned of the need to ensure they have adequate buildings insurance before starting work.

As the housing market continues to slow, many people are considering extending their homes - or making other structural changes - as an alternative to moving house.

But research by Sainsbury’s Home Insurance has found that one in three people planning on carrying out such work don’t know they need to tell their home buildings insurer first.

“As buildings insurance premiums are calculated based on the type of house, for example the number of bedrooms it has, creating extra rooms can have an impact on your premium even if you have unlimited cover,” said Neil Laird, Sainsbury’s Finance home insurance manager.

"Homeowners could be left underinsured or even invalidate their insurance entirely in the event of an incident during or after the works if they have not informed their insurer first."

As many as 5.3 million households will have some major structural work done in the coming year, with most planning a loft conversion, building a conservatory, or having an extension built.

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