Should I take out insurance before a kitchen extension?

If you’re planning on breathing life back into the heart of your home with a brand new kitchen installation, it may be worth considering whether or not you need insurance.

The necessity of a new insurance policy depends on what kind of renovation you’re planning.

Before you renovate…

Check your existing insurance

Firstly, it’s a good idea to read your current home insurance policy to check if a new kitchen installation is already covered (it's common for these policies to cover minor, cosmetic changes to rooms). There’s no need to go through the headache of purchasing add-ons if your provider already covers you.

Notify your provider about your renovation

Next, notify your provider of your renovation plans before any changes are made to your property. This way they can advise you ahead of time to ensure your property is appropriately and properly insured, before the paintbrush touches the wall.

If you do require additional insurance, the most likely policy will be renovation insurance. This will protect you against risks such as theft of your personal belongings or damage to your existing property during the kitchen installation.

It may be possible for your insurance provider to add this onto your existing policy, however for some more major renovations, you may require specialist insurance.

Use contractors you trust

Installing a brand new kitchen is a big job; it can be a logistically stressful process and can cost a lot of money. For bigger projects, it may even necessitate multiple contractors.

No matter how many tradespeople you’ve got working on the renovation, it's important that each one is able to produce documentation upon request to demonstrate their credibility.

All CPA-registered tradespeople can apply for an insurance backed guarantee, meaning you will be able to claim in the event that your installation company ceases to trade during the renovation. Not only this, but all CPA-registered tradespeople can also enrol you in a deposit protection scheme that will protect the money you have paid prior to the work finishing, in the event that the company ceases to trade. Both are unlikely scenarios, but so important to consider.

Forking out four figures or more for a kitchen installation can be daunting, so make sure that you’re protecting yourself at every possible opportunity: starting with choosing a CPA-registered contractor, and also by making upfront payments via a credit card, which will protect you under the consumers credit act.

When you’ll need to take out insurance

Some kitchen installations may be covered in your existing home insurance; namely installations that are just cosmetic in nature i.e. new countertops or paint jobs.

However, there are some instances in which a kitchen installation will warrant you taking out renovation insurance:

If the installation will create structural change in your home

By creating structural change in your home (i.e. renovations that involve excavation or demolition) your existing property will become vulnerable to damages that standard home insurance won’t cover.

For example: say you’re knocking down a wall to expand your kitchen into an open-plan kitchen/diner, but a pipe bursts in the process and floods your living space. This could add weeks and hundreds more pounds onto the renovation process, which would be coming out of your pocket in the absence of insurance.

If you’re paying a significant amount of money

For pricier installations, it's generally a good idea to take out insurance no matter what. Perhaps you’ve bought extremely expensive countertops, appliances or splashback tiles; either way, it’s just good sense to protect every piece of the puzzle whilst it's being assembled in case anything is damaged or stolen.

Your contractor might also need to use expensive equipment which could be vulnerable to theft during a renovation; insurance can protect you against the theft or damage of building materials as well as the possessions in your home.

If your house will be unoccupied for a period of time

Some kitchen installations are complex and lengthy, warranting homeowners to find lodgings elsewhere for the duration of the renovation.

Many home insurance policies will become invalidated if your property is unoccupied during a renovation project, as your possessions will become more vulnerable to theft.

If your kitchen installation means you’ve got to stay with friends for a while, make sure your insurance covers this. If you’re concerned about budget and don’t really want to take out insurance, consider staying home whilst the work takes place (so long as it's safe to do so!)

Conclusion

Do you need to take out insurance for your kitchen installation? The short answer: it depends.

Are you planning on knocking down walls, excavating the floor, spending £20k and staying with your parents for two weeks whilst the CPA tradespeople make your dreams a reality? Then, yes, you’ll probably need insurance.

If you’re planning a two day installation with a few new countertops, getting a swanky new SMEG fridge and painting the wall sage, you may be able to rely on the home insurance you’ve already got to cover you.

Either way, make sure you know exactly what’s covered in your insurance before you start any work, and ensure that you’ve hired trustworthy contractors from the CPA to build your dream kitchen.