How often should you inspect an empty property awaiting renovation?

Explain the property's occupancy, condition and intended renovation to your insurer before work starts. Ask what notification, endorsements or separate cover may be needed, and retain the response with your policy documents.

Do not assume insurance transfers to the contractor. Confirm who covers the existing structure, new work, contents and liability, the relevant dates, and any exclusions. Contractor insurance and the owner's building insurance may cover different risks.

Ask your insurer to confirm these points in writing:

• Whether inspections are required and, if so, the maximum interval between visits and any seasonal changes.
• Who can inspect, whether a nominated person is acceptable, and whether contractor or surveyor visits meet the condition.
• A record of each visit: the date, who attended, what was checked and what was found.
• What to do and whom to notify when damage is found, including any emergency mitigation and claim-reporting requirements.

Start with your policy wording and written instructions from your insurer. There is no worldwide 7-, 14- or 30-day rule. Then plan for the property's actual risks:

• Set reminders to meet the confirmed interval and arrange a backup inspector if you cannot attend.
• Consider extra checks after storms, freezing weather, security incidents or changes to the building's weatherproofing.
• If no interval is specified, agree a monitoring plan with your insurer rather than assuming monthly or fortnightly visits are enough.

A consistent routine makes each inspection quick and each record comparable. On every visit, check and photograph:

• All external doors, windows and any security measures — signs of attempted entry included.
• The water stopcock and any isolated or drained-down services, plus visible pipework in kitchens, bathrooms and lofts.
• Electrics: the consumer unit and anything left powered.
• Signs of damp, leaks or weather ingress — ceilings, around windows, and in the loft.
• Post, bins and the garden — anything that signals to passers-by that the property is empty.
• The exterior: roofline, gutters, and anything a storm has moved since last time.

Keep a factual entry for each visit: date, inspector, areas checked, observations, photographs and actions taken. Record missed visits honestly rather than backdating them. Ask your insurer what evidence it needs and how long to retain it.

This is exactly what Inspection Record produces. You set the interval your policy requires, get reminded before each visit falls due, log photos and notes as you walk the property, and every entry compiles into a formal, print-ready record — dates, photos, notes and a signature line. If the worst happens while you're still waiting for the builder to start, the question 'can you prove the property was being inspected?' has a one-page answer.