August and September are common months to start a renovation: the holidays are over, the home is free for a few weeks, and many families take the chance to update the kitchen, bathrooms or flooring before winter arrives. What hardly anyone checks before signing the quote with the renovation contractor is what happens to their home insurance during and after that work. It's not a minor detail: it's exactly the moment when it matters most to have the policy up to date.

Why a renovation can leave your insurance out of date

Home insurance protects your property up to a specific sum insured, set when you take out the policy based on the rebuild value of the home and your contents. When you renovate — a new kitchen, better-quality flooring, renovated bathrooms or an extension — the real value of the property can rise, but the sum insured on your policy doesn't update itself: it stays whatever was set at the time, unless you or your insurer review it.

If, over time, that sum falls below the real value of the property and a major claim happens, some insurers apply a proportional reduction to the payout, depending on your policy's particular conditions. That's why, after a significant renovation, reviewing the sum insured matters just as much as choosing the right tiles.

The key point: your insurer doesn't 'know' you've renovated unless you tell them. Updating the sum insured after significant work is how the policy keeps reflecting your home's real value.

What home insurance covers — and doesn't — during the work

A standard home policy is designed for everyday life in an already-occupied home, not necessarily for a renovation period. During the work, different risks can appear: materials stored on site, scaffolding, temporarily open plumbing or wiring, builders coming and going. Many policies don't automatically cover damage directly linked to the work itself, and some claims during a renovation can depend on whether the event was sudden and unforeseen, or a direct consequence of the ongoing work.

For major work — structural changes, extensions, full renovations — some insurers ask for a specific policy or endorsement during that period, on top of the update afterwards. There's no single rule that applies to every case: it depends on the insurer, the scope of the work and your policy's conditions.

Minor renovation

Painting, changing flooring or updating furniture without touching the plumbing or wiring. Rarely requires notifying your insurer, but it's worth keeping the invoices.

Structural renovation or extension

Touching load-bearing walls, plumbing, wiring, or adding built square metres. Here it's worth notifying your insurer before starting and reviewing the sum insured once it's finished.

When and how to notify your insurer

The general rule is simple: if the renovation is the kind that changes the value of the home or affects its structure, notify your insurer before the work starts, not once it's finished. It's the only way to know for certain whether your current policy responds properly during the work, whether you need a temporary endorsement, and what to update once everything's done.

As an insurance advisor, I can review your home insurance particular conditions with you before the renovation contractor knocks on the door, so you know exactly what's covered and what isn't during those weeks of work.

The most common mistakes when renovating without reviewing your insurance

These are the ones I come across most often, when someone comes to me after the renovation is already done:

  • ✓Not updating the sum insured once the work is finished, even though the home has gained real value.
  • ✓Not keeping invoices or receipts for the renovation, which are key to proving the value if there's a claim later on.
  • ✓Leaving the home empty during the work without checking whether that affects any of the policy's conditions.
  • ✓Confusing your home insurance with the renovation contractor's insurance — liability for damage caused by the builders usually falls under their own liability cover, not always your home policy.

None of these mistakes show up on the day of the renovation. They show up, and they hurt, on the day of a claim.

This article is general information and does not replace personalised advice about your specific situation. The conditions around cover during renovation work, updating the sum insured and the proportional reduction rule vary by insurer and by policy, so the most reliable approach is to review your own contract before starting any significant renovation.

How I can help before the work starts

If you have a renovation underway or coming up, my recommendation is simple: let's review your policy together before the first hammer swings. We look at what it covers today, whether it's worth notifying your insurer given the scope of the work, and we note down that the sum insured needs updating once everything is finished. It's a ten-minute review that can save you a much bigger headache if something goes wrong during or after the renovation.