Some 43% of home owners in the UK have carried out major work in their home in the last five years with bathrooms, kitchens and new heating topping the list of improvements.
Top of the list was installing a new bathroom with new research shows 39% have done, followed closely by 38% fitting a new kitchen and 34% a new boiler or central heating system.
The research from GoCompare Home Insurance also found that 26% have opted for a garden makeover and the same number installed double glazing, while 17% built an extension, 12% fitted solar panels, 10% an attic conversion and 9% added an extra bedroom.
However, the study also revealed that 41% of those carrying out renovations did so without telling their home insurer, potentially invalidating their policy.
‘While you don’t need to inform your insurer about routine decorating or maintenance, you should inform your provider if you’re planning on carrying out any major building or renovation work, otherwise you could risk invalidating your policy,’ said Matt Sanders, home insurance spokesperson for GoCompare.
‘When planning a major renovation project, one of the first things you should do is to review your buildings and contents insurance to make sure that you have adequate cover both during and after the work has been completed,’ he explained.
He pointed out that another important thing to note is that most home insurance policies don’t cover tradesmen or their work and it is also sensible to check that tradesmen are qualified to carry out the work and registered with a recognised organisation.
He added that after completion of the work, a home owner may need to increase their sum insured to reflect any increase in the rebuilding costs of their property and any increase in the value of their possessions.
