Structural house changes not so popular

Whilst the number of homeowners planning structural changes to their home is nearly 40% down on last year, nearly 30% don’t realise they need to let their home insurance providers know of any such work planned.

Around 13% of homeowners are planning structural changes in the next 12 months and it is important to let home insurance providers know before the actual work starts.

According to Sainsburys Home Insurance research, most common structural work planned are loft conversions, side extensions and garage conversions.

Home buildings insurance premiums are calculated on factors such as the type of house and number of bedrooms. Adding rooms could therefore have an impact on your premium and / or cover provided.

You can quickly compare home insurance from different providers using a comparison website such as Confused.com or Gocompare.com or check directly with your provider.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsburys Home Insurance Manager said ‘In the current housing climate, creating extra space in your home is another option for those who have maybe decided to put their plans to move on hold.’

She added ‘Homeowners should know that in the event of an incident happening during or after the works are completed they could be left underinsured or even invalidate their insurance entirely if they have not informed their insurer first.’

Sainsburys Finance is a 50:50 joint venture with Sainsburys and Lloyds Banking Group.