Getting a homeowners insurance policy in place is an essential step to protecting your home and providing you with the much-needed assurance that you’ll be okay, even if disaster were to strike. However, if you’re still at the stage where you’re looking for a policy or are wanting to switch provider, you’ll likely have some questions about the process, and some of the most common of these relate to home inspections and whether one will be required.

Why Are Home Inspections Carried Out?

Insurance companies need to understand the value of what they’re insuring and the level of risk it faces in order to set fair premiums and ensure that they’re offering you sufficient coverage. Home inspections are one of the most reliable ways for them to assess the risk level and identify any specific threats that need to be addressed before coverage can be provided.

Will I Need a Home Inspection to Get Insurance?

Home inspections aren’t always required but, in some cases, it will be hard to get coverage in place without one. Whether you will need one personally will depend on your chosen provider and the specifics of your home, such as its age. In general, older homes are significantly more likely to require inspections than newer ones.

Although some insurers may not request a home inspection when others do, it is generally not advisable to choose a provider based on wishing to avoid the need for an inspection.

What Can I Expect From a Home Inspection?

Perhaps the next most common about home inspections after whether you will need one is what you should expect from one. There are many different types of home inspection, but the one most commonly requested by insurers is the four-point inspection.

As its name suggests, four-point inspections focus on four key areas. These are your home’s plumbing, electrical systems, roofing, and heating and ventilation systems (HVAC). While carrying out the inspection, the inspector will examine and test each of these areas, making a note of their condition and any potential risks. In particular, they will aim to identify any factors that will increase the chances of you needing to make a claim in the future.

What Happens After the Inspection Has Been Carried Out?

After they’ve completed their inspection, the inspector will share their report with the insurance company, who will then use it when deciding how to proceed.

If the inspection has not identified any issues or any issues identified were very minor, the insurer will likely offer you a standard policy. If more significant issues are identified, they will likely request that you make specific repairs or improvements to your home in order to address these. This could include replacing an old boiler, for example, or having a section of damaged roof repaired or replaced.

If you’re unwilling or unable to have these repairs carried out, the insurer may still offer you a policy, but this increased risk will be reflected in higher premiums. However, this is not guaranteed, and if it is not possible to reduce the risks to an acceptable level, your insurer may choose to not offer coverage on your property.

Do I Need to Prepare For a Home Inspection?

Even if you’re relatively confident that your home is safe and in good condition, you may feel that you should prepare for an inspection. Whilst this is not strictly necessary, it can help the process to go more smoothly in some cases and, providing you don’t need to carry out any major repairs, should not take a great deal of time and effort.

If you are aware of any damage or similar issues that it is practical to remedy before the inspection, it is advisable to do so. The most significant thing you can do after this is to make sure that the areas the inspector will need to examine, such as your boiler and fuse box, are easily accessible. Beyond this, making sure your home and yard are relatively clean and tidy can make for an easier and more comfortable experience for both you and the inspector.

The Final Word on Home Inspections

Whether you need a home inspection to get a homeowners insurance policy in place can depend on a number of factors, meaning that there’s no universal answer. However, home inspections don’t need to be a daunting or stressful experience, and it’s best to focus on whether a given insurance provider offers the right cover for you at a price you can afford rather than seeking to avoid having an inspection carried out.