Essential insurance considerations when embarking on a building project.
Warmest greetings...
Spring has well and truly arrived, and with it comes a fresh batch of inspiration, practical advice, and a few things worth pausing to think about before the busy season gets underway. This month we're sharing some invaluable guidance on protecting your renovation project (courtesy of our friends at Pelican Insurance), alongside a peek at what caught our eye at London Design Week. We hope it gives you both food for thought and perhaps a little creative spark as we head into the Easter break.
Before You Build: 5 Questions Worth Asking
For this instalment, we reached out to Claire Crowson, a senior account executive at Pelican Insurance. Insurance is one of those admin tasks we all love to push to the bottom of the list! However, those few hours spent getting everything in order could save you a great deal of stress, and a great deal of money.
Claire has kindly put together five key questions to ask before you give your builder the green light.
Is your builder properly insured? It is essential your builder has valid Public Liability Insurance in place. If they employ staff, they should also have Employer's Liability Insurance. This protects you if something goes wrong, such as accidental damage to your property or injury to someone on site. Don't be afraid to ask for proof of cover before work begins.
Have you told your home insurer? Most home insurance policies don't automatically cover renovation work, especially if the property is going to be vacant or undergoing structural changes. Let your insurer know about the project — otherwise you could find your policy won't respond in the event of a claim.
Using a JCT* contract? Check the insurance clauses. If your renovation involves multiple trades or a larger scope of work, consider a JCT Homeowner Contract. It lays out responsibilities clearly, including who is responsible for insuring the works. Some contracts allow for joint insurance policies, ensuring both you and your builder are protected throughout the project.
Do you need a renovation-specific insurance policy? Depending on the size and complexity of the job, your standard buildings insurance might not go far enough. A specialist renovation policy can provide cover for risks such as fire, flood, theft of materials, or structural issues caused during the works. It's a smart additional layer of protection, especially when standard policies fall short.
Who's responsible during and after the build? Make sure your contract clearly sets out site responsibility at each stage. If scaffolding collapses, water gets in, or work is left incomplete, you'll want absolute clarity on who is liable. If your builder offers an insurance-backed warranty, even better! It means you're covered should problems arise further down the line.
Finally, don't forget to notify your insurer once the project is complete. The size of your property will likely have increased, requiring a higher buildings insurance value. The contents of your newly furnished space will add up too. We always suggest creating a simple spreadsheet listing furniture, soft furnishings, technology, artwork, window dressings and other categories. You may well be surprised by the replacement value when you tot it all up!
*JCT — Joint Contracts Tribunal — is the standard form of building contract used between clients and contractors, ensuring balanced risk between parties and covering timescale, cost and specification. Various templates are available, from Homeowner contracts through to more complex construction projects.
London Design Week: What Caught Our Eye
A couple of weeks ago we spent a wonderful day at London Design Week, held at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre. As ever, it was a real highlight of the spring calendar.
Each year, Chelsea Harbour brings together an exceptional edit of brands under one roof, with guest labels showcasing new collections alongside the permanent showrooms of some of the most respected names in interiors, furniture and soft furnishings. For us, it's one of the most efficient and enjoyable ways to source for current and upcoming projects. There really is nowhere quite like it.
This year we were delighted to revisit favourite accounts including The Romo Group, Colefax and Fowler, and Jacaranda. We also came away with beautiful fabrics, tiles and furniture earmarked for various projects — from Jane Churchill, Ca'Pietra, Loom and Phillip Jefferies. A special mention must go to the new Vivienne Westwood wallpaper collection from Cole & Son, which stopped us firmly in our tracks! Bold, theatrical and utterly distinctive, it's certainly not for the faint-hearted, and we mean that as the highest compliment!
Two discoveries stood out particularly this time around:
ABI Interiors - it was wonderful to finally meet the team in person and see their products up close. Their bathroom ranges and brassware are simply beautiful! Contemporary and quietly elegant, with eight metal finishes and an impressive choice of solid surfaces including acrylic, granite and coloured concrete for basins and baths. They offer something far more considered than the mainstream, at refreshingly reasonable prices. Well worth a look at their full range.
Tom Raffield - a longstanding favourite of ours, and it's easy to see why. Their British-made lighting and accessories have a natural, sculptural quality that feels genuinely timeless. Crafted in oak, ash and walnut, each piece has warmth and integrity that's hard to find elsewhere. One of their ceiling lights has a permanent home in my own bedroom - it makes me smile every time I look at it.
We hope this month's newsletter is both useful and a little uplifting as we head into the Easter weekend. Whether you're deep in a renovation, dreaming up your next project, or simply enjoying a well-earned rest over the holiday, we wish you a very happy Easter.
As always, do get in touch if there's anything we can help with - we love hearing from you.
Best wishes
Becci x
P.S. Save the date and join us for our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning, Friday 25th September.