The item most homeowners forget on their home improvement project checklist is insurance.
If you are like most homeowners, you love selecting the fixtures, fabrics, and paint colors of your home improvement project. But there is one very important item that you may overlook—making certain you are properly insured.
Why Proper Insurance Matters
You may need to review your insurance before beginning any home improvement project since it can expose you to additional financial risks.
If you choose to act as your own general contractor (in other words, you organize and order supplies while hiring sub-contractors to do the work), you may be opening up yourself to additional liability (such as an injury to a worker or third party) that may not be fully covered by your current homeowners insurance policy.¹
Whether it’s an extra room or an updated bathroom, many home improvement projects will increase the value of your home. However, too many homeowners fail to review the policy’s replacement value limits, which may no longer be high enough to cover any losses that occur after your home improvement.
Obtaining additional coverage shouldn’t wait until you’ve completed the remodeling. After all, at any point in the process, you will have supplies and completed work that may not be covered under your existing policy.
To ensure that you are properly covered, meet with your insurance agent about your projects and discuss with them any need for modifying your current insurance coverage.
