While you plan a renovation, keep track of the empty property's condition. Confirm suitable cover and any inspection requirements with your insurer, then record each visit with photos and notes.
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Why empty pre-renovation properties worry insurers
Permits, design work and contractor quotes can leave a property empty for months. Agree suitable insurance before and during the works. A contractor's policy does not automatically replace your building cover: confirm who insures the existing structure, the work and any contents.
Water damage spreads unseen
A plumbing leak in an empty property can go unnoticed and damage floors, ceilings and contents. Record visible changes and arrange appropriate repairs promptly.
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 supports your routine
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 before the builder starts, your dated entries help show when visits took place and what was observed. Your policy and the circumstances still determine coverage.
What interval should you set?
Use the inspection interval in your policy and any written endorsements. If none is stated, ask your insurer rather than assuming a weekly or fortnightly default. Local weather, site security and the stage of the works may call for additional checks.
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?
Cover does not automatically transfer to the builder. Before work starts, confirm with your insurer and contractor who covers the existing building, new work and contents, and which inspection conditions continue.
The builders are there every day — do their visits count as my inspections?
Rarely. Contractors are there to build, not to inspect for the policyholder, and most wordings require checks by you or your nominated person. Their presence is good for security, but do your own logged walk-through on the required interval — it takes minutes while you're checking progress anyway.
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 recordNo card required. Use all features free for 14 days. Subscribe after your trial to keep making changes; your data stays viewable and exportable.