Check home insurance before starting building

Posted : 24-02-2006

British home-owners wasted £313 million on unapproved building work in 2005, simply because they did not adhere to planning guidelines, leaving many with huge repair bills.

According to new research from Direct Lime Home Insurance, 20 per cent of Brits were not aware that responsibility for gaining planning approval lies with the homeowner.

However, 23 per cent of people said they would build a conservatory without permission, implying that a proportion of these people are aware of the regulations, but willfully ignore them.

But such a cavalier attitude to planning regulations can leave home-owners substantially out of pocket if they do not have adequate home insurance as the average cost of delayed or aborted projects was £10,441, equating to national wastage of £313 million.

These are not isolated incidents, but a growing problem, as the report found a ten per cent rise in breaches of planning permission in 2005 compared to 2004.

Meanwhile, it is not just the unfortunate house-improvers themselves who are counting the cost of unapproved building work, but potentially whoever buys the house. Direct Line found that 3.5 million home-buyers reported unsound or unapproved work when they moved into a new home.

Direct Line Home spokesperson Simon Ziviani, said: "The extent of unapproved building work is extremely concerning, as are the number of homeowners who appear to be unaware of the rules.

"Not obtaining planning permission or ensuring that building regulations are complied with may make a property unsaleable and, more seriously, structurally unsound. We would advise all homeowners to make sure they are aware of the legal requirements before undertaking any building work."

New homeowners who find that unapproved building work has been carried out should seek legal advice as they may be entitled to request sellers seek retrospective planning permission or to correct unapproved works.

Failing this, homeowners should be able to claim on their home insurance policy, although it is always advisable to check the smallprint before such events occur.


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