Vacating your home can invalidate your policy.

Most policies require that the home remain occupied while it is insured. The reason for this is that homes that are occupied are less likely to be burglarised and be well maintained. If you have to leave your home for an extended period while renovations are being carried out, inform your insurer and enquire about the affect this will have on your insurance cover.

Extensive renovations may change the classification of your policy.

If the renovations are extensive, such as replacing an exterior wall or roof, your insurance company may change your policy to that of a building under construction, rather than a single family dwelling. The reason for this is that your personal belongings in the home are covered by your insurance policy, as well as the building itself. If there’s a damaged roof or missing wall that can affect the condition of the contents of your home, your insurer may choose to exclude them from your policy during the renovation period.

You may be liable for injuries to workers on your property.

If a worker or anyone else is injured on your property, you may be liable for costs and damages relating to the injuries. Before you hire a contractor, make sure that they have insurance for their workers. You should also review the amount of liability coverage you have; it may be worthwhile to increase your cover during the renovation period.

You never know what you may find.

If your home is an older one, renovations may uncover potentially hazardous building materials, or construction technique may be used that does not conform to current building regulations. Some of these changes may significantly affect the scope and duration of your renovation and therefore your insurance cover.

Use a reputable building contractor.

Make use of reputable building contractors in order to avoid extra insurance costs due to incomplete or faulty workmanship. Also ensure that your building plans are pre-approved, as your insurance company could repudiate your claim if your building does not conform to the required building standards and laws.

This is vital for all properties and even more so on properties close to rivers, beaches and dams, as the 50 or 100 year flood line could have an effect on the approval of building plans. You could also end up with a nasty liability claim from neighbours should your plans not be according to building regulations.