House Extension - be aware that your building Insurance is affected, possibly void.

[ciderhouserules]

My Dp started an extension (nothing major, Single storey 1 bed plus en-suite) a couple of years ago. It's not signed off yet; still got to get the Electrics signed off (can't get hold of the Electrician) and a few other bits. Not sure how much.
Anyway, his Buildings Ins is due in March, so I went onto a comparison site, and noticed a New (i think, I don't remember seeing it on the questions before) question regarding any 'work' being done to the place. Upshot is, if it not Signed off, they will not insure. We tried all the big ones (DirectLine, GoCompare, CompareTheMarket etc) and none of them will quote for a house undergoing work - even if it's in the final stages. The house will be signed off soon, hopefully in the next few weeks.

Anyone doing an extension or renovation (Structural, not internal/cosmetic) needs to be aware of this. Someone I know has left his house un-signed-off for (The maximum) 5 years, as he thinks that when it's signed off, he will have to pay higher Council Tax due to his improvements which will take it into a higher band!

Anyone know of any Insurers who will cover a house undergoing renovation?

I can't find the firm we used but you can Google renovation insurance. We had to do a similar thing as the house was unoccupied whilst the work was being done. From memory, it wasn't vastly more expensive.

Ours is through a local broker and the best deal they found was with Prestige

We're doing a full renovation and we got insurance through Fresh Insurance - they have been really helpful, but be aware that if something isn't part of the fabric of the building (like a kitchen that hasn't been fitted yet) isn't covered. Give them a call though, they talked us through it.

I don't know about insurance and signing off (when we had an extension built I told our insurance company, they didn't seem that interested beyond some basic info). However, re the council tax. If you extend your property it isn't re rated for council tax until you sell it, so you continue to pay the same council tax you always have. So you friend, op, should not worry on that score.

Just to add, I have insured an unoccupied property but used a broker. The major players weren't interested. Try a broker?

Thanks all - we don't have a local broker (are there such things anymore? ) and I've been trying to trawl through google suggestions. Only to find at the very end that they won't insure it!

I'm not sure it is well known about - My ex-H works in insurance and he had no idea! (Although he works in a different field)
Lucisky - I don't think that's right. When my own extension was signed off a few years ago, I paid the new rate CT immediately. It may have changed again though, but it was something to do with adding another bathroom(?).

I'll try your company suggestions thanks. And get the place signed off ASAP!

When my own extension was signed off a few years ago, I paid the new rate CT immediately
Does it vary from borough to borough? I only ask because from memory (and I'm a bit hazy) I'm fairly sure that I discovered that different boroughs have different rules when the occupant of a house dies - some boroughs seemed to give a short council tax holiday while you sell, in another council tax remained liable regardless etc. Couldn't swear to it, but I'm fairly sure that's what I discovered.

@DolorestheNewt, yes, different councils have different rules when a house is left unoccupied after death - I discovered this after deaing with different properties in different areas (after deaths), I had stupidly assumed they all had the same rules.
All I can say is that our local council won't re-rate our property until we move on. Possibly it is not the same everywhere of course.
OP, I used Towergate for empty property insurance. I did exactly the same as you initially, using the online various company forms, only to get to the end and find I was turned down. I dealt with it on the phone in the end. T'internet sometimes has its limitations!

We found this after we bought an empty house from the estate of a deceased lady - we asked the council to re-assess it because the CT was higher than the rest of the street, apparently where we were they do a routine assessment every however many years and because the lady had died they couldn't assess it. They'll do it on request though (we were lucky, it went down a band but it can go up)

This is a worry - we had a single storey extension done in 2016. Builder used a private building regs inspector who he had used many times. After it was finished it did not get signed off, it turned out that the inspector was very elderly and had become gravely ill in hospital. What's more, he had been 'inspecting' the various stages of the build by receiving picture messages from the builder. So we were left with no building regs. Extension all seems fine and we were told that the only time there would be a problem is if we came to sell, but we could buy indemnity insurance for the buyer so not a huge deal. Did not realise this about the insurance so I'm worried now!

My house is not signed off.
Nor are around 1/3 of the houses in the country
my Council tax changed before the work was finished
my insurer have been happy for the last ten years - have even paid out a claim on the extension
so I think you are massively over thinking this

TalkinPeece - I think the question (of whether there is work outstanding) is a new one; I don't remember answering it before. And as I said, exH who works in Insurance didn't even know it.

If you just 'renew' every year with the same Insurer, they may not even realise that things have changed, but if you make a claim on a room that they don't know about (while the place is not signed off) they will wriggle out of paying it. The Insurer send an email telling us what the new premium would be, but based on the previous info, ie not
including the new extension bedroom. The premium was quite high tho, as it tends to be if you don't swap and change every year, Which is why we looked at other insurers. (If the house was signed off, the insurance premium would be half the price of the renewal!)

I know lots of houses must be under renovation at any one time, which is why I was so surprised to find that the Insurers on the big comparison sites wouldn't insure!

ciderhouse
My insurer are well aware of the changes to my house - I nearly doubled it in size
and the claim was for part of the new section
and they made no attempt to wriggle out or query building regs