From meeting the architect to going out to tender, an empty property awaiting renovation is insured on an unoccupied policy. It almost always comes with an inspection condition: visit every 7, 14 or 30 days, and be able to prove it.
Set up in minutes. 2-week free trial on the monthly plan.
Why empty pre-renovation properties worry insurers
Planning permission, schedules of works and tenders take months — and the property stands empty the whole time. Insurers price for that risk and write inspection requirements into the policy, because early discovery is the difference between a small fix and a catastrophic claim. Once the builder starts on site, cover normally transfers to their works insurance policy — but until then, the inspection condition is yours to meet.
Water damage spreads unseen
A plumbing joint that fails on day one of a three-week absence has three weeks to destroy floors, ceilings and plasterwork. Escape of water is the most common — and most expensive — unoccupied property claim.
Theft, metal and break-ins
Empty houses with copper pipework, boilers and period features are targets. Visible neglect signals an easy opportunity; regular visits and signs of activity deter it.
Months of vacancy add up
Planning applications and tender rounds stretch the empty period far longer than most owners expect. Blocked gutters, storm damage and slow leaks all worsen quietly unless someone is checking.
How Inspection Record keeps you compliant
Reminders that match your policy
Set your inspection interval to whatever your policy requires — 7, 14 or 30 days — and get reminded before a visit falls due, not after.
Photo evidence from every visit
Capture time-stamped photos of the doors, windows, stopcock, meters and any issues as you walk the property. Everything is attached to that visit's entry.
A formal record, always ready
Every inspection compiles into a clean, print-ready document with dates, notes, photos and a signature line — exactly what a loss adjuster asks for.
Proof that protects your claim
If something goes wrong while you're still waiting for the builder to start, you can show the property was inspected on schedule — closing off the most common reason unoccupied claims get reduced or refused.
What interval should you set?
Check your policy schedule first — the inspection condition is usually explicit. Every 14 days is the common standard for a secure, weathertight property waiting on planning permission or tender responses; 7 days where the policy demands it or the risk is higher. If your policy says nothing, fortnightly visits are a sensible standard of care.
What insurers expect to see
A dated log of visits, who attended, what was checked and photographic evidence. A diary entry or a memory is hard to rely on in a claim; a formal, photo-backed record produced at the time is difficult to dispute.
Common questions
The architect and surveyor visit regularly — do I still need inspections?
Usually yes. Professional visits to identify the works don't count as policy inspections: most policies require the policyholder (or their appointed person) to carry out and document the inspections. Check your wording before relying on anyone else's visits.
What should I photograph on each visit?
External doors and windows, the water stopcock and any isolated services, visible pipework, signs of damp or leaks, and anything that changed since the last visit. A consistent set of photos each time makes the record stronger.
What happens once the builder starts on site?
The project normally transfers to the builder's works insurance policy (often called contract works or contractors' all-risks cover). Confirm the handover date with your broker so there's no gap — and keep inspecting to your policy's interval right up until it.
Protect the property — and the policy
Set your interval once, get reminded every time, and walk away from each visit with an insurer-ready record for the whole pre-works period.
Start your inspection recordSet up in minutes. 2-week free trial on the monthly plan.