A renovation is a double moment from an insurance point of view: your home's value goes up, and the risk during the works temporarily goes up too - but the policy doesn't find out about either on its own. Three points are worth a look: before major work, during it, and after it's finished. None of them take long, but all three matter at claim time.
- After a value-adding renovation - bathroom, kitchen, roof, an extension - the sum insured needs raising, or the home quietly ends up underinsured.
- Bigger work involving demolition or opening up structures is a change in risk: notify your insurer - a full rebuild is already the territory of construction-all-risks cover.
- If the contractor causes damage, that's their responsibility: ask for proof of their contractor's liability insurance before you sign the contract.
After the renovation: let the sum match the value
A new kitchen, bathroom, roof or an extension raises the rebuilding value - if the sum insured stays at its old level, the gap can show up at claim time as a proportional settlement. The routine is simple: a short note to the insurer once the bigger job is finished, updating the sum and, if needed, the basic details. Keep the invoices and the technical documentation - a documented, up-to-date value is a strong argument at claim time - and an annual review turns this update into a regular habit. With an extension, the floor area changes too - not a minor point: without updating the basic details, the policy is still describing the old house.
During the works: notify, and use common sense
For smaller indoor jobs - painting, tiling - the existing policy and common sense are typically enough. Work involving demolition, opening up the roof or scaffolding, though, is already a material change in risk: notify your insurer, because some terms place restrictions on the period during the rebuild - especially if the flat is also unoccupied in the meantime. For a full rebuild or adding a storey, construction-all-risks cover is already the right product - that's the territory of our sister site, epites.biz (in Hungarian).
If the contractor causes damage
A good share of disputed renovation cases aren't natural-peril claims at all, but contractor error: a drilled-through pipe, a dropped bathtub, scratched flooring. That's primarily the contractor's responsibility - it's what contractor's liability insurance is for, and it's worth asking for proof of it before you even sign the contract. Your home insurance isn't cover for the contractor's mistakes; in borderline cases, though - say, water damage following a drilling job - it's also worth notifying your own insurer, via the claims line or online. Photograph the whole flat before work starts - a record of the starting condition is worth a lot in a dispute. It's also worth setting out the question of liability in the contractor agreement - for a properly run business, that's a natural request.
Solar panels and the like: the most common case
Solar panels, heat pumps and air conditioners share a common trait: significant value, sitting on the outside of the building, exposed to the weather. Cover for them varies by product - sometimes it's part of the buildings cover, sometimes it needs to be named separately, and the terms for hail, storm and power-surge damage differ too; our map of optional covers shows the details.
After installation, notification is the key step here too, with a copy of the invoice - that way the value is documented as well. The next step: run the numbers in minutes - or a short chat, even while the renovation is still just being planned.
A question about your own home? Run the numbers in minutes with the online calculator (in Hungarian), or book a free 20-minute consultation →
