Giving your house a facelift can help to freshen it up, make more space as your family grows or add value if you plan to move on. But, if it’s a lot more than a lick of paint or some stylish new wallpaper, it could affect your home insurance.

If you have Tesco Home Insurance, it’s important to tell us about any home improvements you’re planning. We can make sure you’ve got the right level of home insurance for building work or renovations, so your property stays protected throughout the project.

Our friendly insurance experts can help you to head off any potential issues - giving you peace of mind for your big project, so you can focus on your new-look home.

When you're planning renovations, it's important to check if your home insurance covers building works. With contractors on site and materials around your home, there’s a higher risk of accidents and damage, so your existing cover might need to be updated.

If an accident happens during your renovations, and you haven’t told your insurance company you’re getting work done, it might mean you’re not covered for it. And that could leave you out of pocket for repairs.

Not all policies are the same, but you should always contact your insurer if you’re planning a big upgrade or major renovations for your home.

If you have Tesco Home Insurance, there are some key things you need to tell us.

We’ll need to know what sort of work you’re getting done. Including, but not limited to:

Tell us when the renovations are due to start and end, so we know how long your home might be at increased risk.

You’ll also need to get back in touch once the work’s complete. At that point, we’ll update your policy and remove any endorsements that we might have put in place while the work was going on.

You’ll need to provide an estimate of the cost of the work. The higher the cost, the bigger the risk - and a bigger project might need more specialist cover.

Major renovations, like adding a bedroom, not only cost a lot of money but can affect the value of your home. We might need to adjust your cover to take this into account, and it could make a difference to your premiums.

We’ll need the names of the contractors or builders you’re hiring to carry out the work.

For your own protection and peace of mind, we’d advise you to use a builder who has liability insurance, in case something goes wrong.

You’ll need to let us know if your renovations are going to change the way you use your property. For example, converting part of your property into a holiday let or using it to run a business from home.

If the change of use isn’t covered by Tesco Home Insurance, you’ll need to get the right policy to meet your needs.

If you have Tesco Buildings and Contents Insurance, you don’t need to tell us about small DIY jobs or interior design changes. For example:

When it comes to home improvements, the key thing to remember is this: if you’re getting building work done, it can affect your cover. To make sure you have the right home insurance while renovating, let your insurer know in plenty of time.

If you have Tesco Home Insurance, and need to tell us about the home improvements you’re making, simply give us a call.

0345 246 2904*

Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-2pm.

Tesco Home Insurance is arranged and administered by Tesco Insurance and is underwritten by Tesco Underwriting Ltd.

You'll find complete details of the cover, monetary limits, exclusions, excesses and terms in our policy documents.