Storm losses and the importance of Party Wall Insurance

This article has been continued from our company newsletter, which can be found here: March Newsletter

Losses in sector during storm period

Though we avoided any serious problems during the extended period of storm conditions early in the year, we have had a couple of large losses. One relating to water damage and the other fire in a neighbouring property. Both are in London and both in the most expensive bracket which is disappointing, however it does go to show that losses in this sector do happen and when they do they are savagely expensive. I’d encourage you to look carefully at the standard cover and inner limits provided by competing products to make sure that your clients are adequately protected. It’s also a good opportunity to think about how you approach the contracts your clients are entering into and the strength of the insurers who back their contractors. It is not always the obvious areas that lead to problems so make every effort to know your client and assess the risks they are exposed to.

Importance of Party Wall insurance

Party Wall claims (Non-negligent Insurance) continue to occur with the highest frequency, though not always for the right reasons. As neighbours fall out over proposed renovations or damage caused as a result of a project, it’s clear that there are many misconceptions about what non-negligent insurance covers. We’ll be highlighting those in CPD sessions and information sheets to you over the coming months to try to tidy up this complex area.

If you think we could be doing something better then please let us know, it should be easy to do business with us.

Thanks as ever for your support.


Supporting a more unusual contract works requirement

Here at Renovation Insurance Brokers, we are experts in placing insurance for large scale property renovations and part of this is an ability to provide good cover for non-standard items.

In one of our most unusual requests, we were recently asked to arrange cover for a £500,000 church organ which was going to be installed at an insured property.

The custom-made organ was manufactured on the continent and was shipped to the risk address for installation towards the end of the project. We covered this valuable and fragile item from the point it was offloaded on site; tagging it on from the point that the cover provided by the shipper ceased.

ContractWorksOrgan

When referring to a property’s contents, we are looking at items that are loose; things that are not actually attached the property. But with the organ ultimately due to be physically fixed to the building, it needed to be identified in another way; as part of the ‘contract works’.

An item such as this will only be classed as ‘fixtures and fittings’, and therefore part of the Buildings sum insured, from the point of practical completion. Until that point, it is classed as an item of ‘contract works’. This is true of any item which is to be affixed to the structure.

An exceptional renovation requirement for sure, but just another fine example of the importance of a specialist renovation insurance broker who can work to support unique requirements in large scale renovation projects.

We are often asked to protect contents left on site during a renovation project – find out more here: