Trouble finding a warranty for my selfbuild extension!

[clangers_snout]

I will be self building a two storey extension onto the rear of my property and I've been busy phoning around the insurers to try to get a structural defect warranty. It appears that unless my extension is greater than 50% of the original house volume that no one wants to know. I've tried zurich, premiere, build zone, BLP and can't get through to NHBC yet, but none of them will cover it. Two of these even expressed surprise that I was trying to get a warranty for my size of build (about one third of the original house volume). My quandry of course is what happens when I come to sell the house and the buyers' solicitor inevitably asks for a structural defect warranty. I haven't tried the architect's certificate route yet, maybe they do this sort of thing.

Has anyone been through this, if so heeeeeelp

[geoffr]

The only documents that you will have to supply on any sale is a copy of the planning permission and a building regulation completion certificate. It is not a legal requirement to have any structural warranty for an extension.

Cheers, Geoff

[clangers_snout]

Thanks Geoff. That seems to tally with replies I'm getting on other forums. I do wonder though if the buyers will have any difficulty in getting buildings insurance, and hence pull out of the sale, if I don't have some sort of building warranty.

[boltmail]

How do you think people get away with buying non-newbuild houses - say a Victorian one?

[Phil L]

You just insure the house - the extension is a part of the house - you don't need to insure it seperately, whatever made you think you did?

[boltmail]

My guess is OP has a newbuild with NHBC guarantee, which he's extended, so his concern was to have it all nicely packaged up with matching expensive but useless warranties. I am only surprised that the insurance companies didn't gobble his money up immediately.

[boltmail]

Hang on - Gabriel gave Daniel a reach-around in the shower? Is that the Bible's message?

[Si]

Ooooh, that and much much more...

[Mogga]

You'd perhaps be best investigating some sort of indemnity insurance? But unless you're selling the house now why worry?

We had an extension done and just after we started I wondered if the buildis insuirance needed to know. They didn't really care as long as our builder had insurance so if he knocked the house down whilst working on it it was his problem. When we had our completion certificate I rang them up expecting to have to fax them through the certificate. It turned out they didn't care and were happy to quote us the same price for building and contents (More than has a generous limit on rebuilding costs etc)

People find all sorts of objections to try and bargain the price down when they're buying a house. If you're very concerned then contact a solicitor who specialises in selling houses and ask them for their advice on what you need.

[sm_jamieson]

I have 1 years self-build insurance on my extension project. That covers me accidentally knocking down my house and the neighbour's house. As far as the building insurance goes, I phoned them up and they just pointed out some waivers. These were made up for by the self- build insurance so everything is tied up nicely. Simon.

[Pete Verdon]

I've just (well, September) bought a house with a fair-sized extension. Apart from checking there was a completion certificate and planning permission, I didn't worry any more about that part of the house than any other. I'll admit that it didn't even occur to me to tell my buildings insurer, but then again if they'd asked I would have said - since they didn't ask I can only assume that they don't care and don't need me to contact them about it off my own bat.

Pete

[geoffr]

There is no need for any indemnity insurance as there is no risk to insure against. The only possible other issue is perhaps requiring consent under the terms of the covenants that the property maybe subject to. Its relatively common to have a covenant requiring consent either from the original landowner or builder for any additions to the property.