Look carefully at the fine print: your home insurance may cover this and you didn’t know it

Insurers adapt to the needs of clients in the home insurance, expanding its guarantees to cover aspects beyond the traditional ones typical of a house. Although classic policies protect against floods, fires or theftnew innovative coverage, such as insurance services diy, are gaining ground in the insurance market. Among these services, what many call the “handyman” stands out, a professional technician provided by the insurer to carry out maintenance and DIY tasks in the insured’s home.

Insurance services

The hiring of a home insurancealthough voluntary, can release the owner from expenses resulting from incidents such as burst pipes, damage to windows or other damages. In addition to basic coverages that address fire, weather, theft and miscellaneous damage, some policies offer more advanced guarantees, such as legal protection, IT assistance, appliance repair and DIY services.

DIY coverage, also known as “handyman,” provides the insured with a service with qualified professionals to attend to plumbing, gardening and minor repair needs at no additional cost. This service, detailed in the Specific Conditions of the policy, generally involves the professional traveling to the insured home to carry out small maintenance operations once or twice a year. However, the free labor usually has a limittypically between one and five hours, depending on the company.

The handyman service operates through the sending a professional to the home of the insured to carry out DIY and maintenance tasks. Specific conditions may vary by policy, but in general, the service includes:

1. Qualified professionals: Bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, among others, are at the disposal of the insured.
2. Frequency of visits: Free services are usually limited to one or two visits per year.
3. Free labor limit: Free work time is set between one and five hours, depending on the company.
4. Responsibility of the insured: If the established time is exceeded or more visits are required, the insured assumes the cost of labor.
5. Materials not covered: The materials necessary for the service are not included and must be paid for by the insured.

Roof

Home maintenance tasks included in home insurance coverage vary by insurer and may include:

• Placement of accessories such as curtains, pictures, mirrors, coat racks, shelves, hinges, among others.
• Installing wall corner trim or protectors on the floor.
• Work on windows, such as putting weather stripping, fixing the glass with silicone, etc.
• Electricity, such as placement of sockets, lamps, wall lights and light bulbs.
• Assembly and gluing of furniture.
• Silicone sealed.
• Bleeding radiators.
• Maintenance and cleaning of surfaces.
• Movement of furniture and appliances.
• Installation of technological equipment.
• Replacement or repair of highlights.

However, there are repairs and maintenance operations that are not covered by this service, such as:

• New light points.
• Changing plugs, plugs or switches that involve manipulation of electrical wiring.
• Friction on windows or doors.
• Door brushing.
• Metal welds.
• Pipe repair.

When purchasing home insurance, you should consider the value of the home and its contents. The choice between a complete policy that includes container and contents or just one of them can be easily made using tools such as the home insurance comparator. When comparing options, you should evaluate the possibility of including the DIY servicewhich can result in a Significant time and money savings on home maintenance tasks. This service is presented as a valuable addition to modern home insurance policies, adapting to the changing needs of policyholders and providing comprehensive support for the preservation of their homes.