5 risks you need to know when building your own home

Building your own home is surely a pipe dream for the majority of us. Those of us lucky enough to actually do it need to be aware of potential risks they could face along the way so the dream doesn’t become a nightmare. A self-build plot costs £220,573 on average and the build costs on average £303,000 (Source: Homebuilding & Renovating Self & Custom Build Market Report 2017). After investing so much in the dream, make sure to have insurance in place in case something was to happen. These are 5 of the most common things you need to be aware of:

Trespassers

Before the build begins on your plot of land, make sure your plot is reasonably secure from trespassers and vandals. Plot owners are liable for claims that come from injury or death on site, even for trespassers and uninvited visitors.

Security

Most building sites have high fences surrounding them. This is a further security measure to stop thieves, squatters and members of the public wandering on to a building site. It’s the plot owners responsibility to secure their plot from the moment they own it to prevent trespassers.

Injury

A self-build site usually means multiple tradesmen on site at once, all with their own jobs, which are often hazardous in their own right. Self build insurance protects the policyholder from claims that could come if someone is injured on your site.

Theft

During the build, there are lots of materials, tools and equipment left that could be are at risk of getting stolen. Protecting against this is key and insurance can help.

Damage along the way

Accidents happen, there’s no getting around it. Setbacks could hinder and delay your self-build project finishing on time, so when you get insurance, check if the policy length is flexible.

How does self-build insurance work?

Self-build insurance can cover your self-build plot from the moment you own the land to the moment your new home is ready to live in.

You choose how long you want your self-build insurance to last, up to 24 months (which can be extended); depending on how long you think the project will last. Self-build insurance covers you as the employer of the self-build project, your workers, your land, materials, and damage to the home you’re building.

Employers’ liability insurance: you’re technically the employer on a self-build project, so employers’ liability insurance helps cover you against the risk of your workers making any compensation claims for illness or injury

Public liability insurance: covers you if a member of the public gets injured because of your building works (or simply being on your plot, even before works begins)

The building: protects the building from physical loss or damage that’s caused by a fire, accidental damage, storms, floods, theft or vandalism.

Materials: protects your materials against physical loss in the same way as buildings.

Building sites are risky places – and anyone taking a project like this seriously needs to be aware of unexpected things that could happen and have adequate cover in place, so you can enjoy the exciting things when they happen.

Go to SelfBuild Insurance for more information or to get a quote for your project.