Why expert claims support matters in renovation insurance

Making an insurance claim can be complex, time-consuming, expensive and stressful. So effective claims management is essential when a private or commercial property owner needs to claim on their contract works insurance policy.

The claims process can be difficult to navigate, especially while also trying to manage contractors, timelines, costs and disruption. In many cases, it’s likely that your clients will have little or no expertise in handling construction-related claims.

For brokers, this is where the value of specialist support becomes clear. The right cover matters, but so does the way a claim is managed when something goes wrong.

That is why we have embedded the Lorega Claims Concierge service into our contract works policies as standard, giving policyholders access to expert claims support when they need it most.

The Lorega Claims Concierge service is automatically included as a permanent feature within our Renovation Master, Renovation Ultra and Renovation Asset policies.

Should the worst happen, policyholders will benefit from a dedicated claims team working on their behalf to prepare and negotiate qualifying claims over £20,000, from first notification through to final settlement.

Lorega’s Chartered Loss Adjusters are experts in calculating, formulating and negotiating claims. They act independently of the insurance company and work on your client’s behalf to help achieve the quickest and fairest settlement possible under the policy.

What expert claims support looks like in practice

When heavy thunderstorms and rain during summer 2017 caused water to pour through the roof of a mid-terraced Victorian house in the Cotswolds that hosted exhibitions, re-enactment shows and workshops for the general public, the extensive water damage forced the venue to close.

While protecting the historical artefacts was the main priority, the venue needed to reopen as soon as possible to ensure some income for the charity that ran it.

Thankfully, the charity had access to the Lorega Claims Concierge service and was able to get a Chartered Loss Adjuster on site the same day to assess the damage and implement an immediate action plan.

In this case, the insurer’s loss adjuster agreed that specific care was needed for this claim, due to the historical nature of the building and its contents. The Lorega Chartered Loss Adjuster worked on estimates for the repairs, looked for a storage solution for the historical artefacts to be protected from damage during the reinstatement works, sourced specialist contractors to check the roof as the gutters had overflowed, and arranged for the property to be dried with specific care.

The main challenge was the restoration of original wallpaper in one of the bedrooms. It was important to recreate the original and it represented the biggest cost on the claim, along with specialist drying processes.

Because of the delicate nature of the building and the complexity of the contents, there was much to anticipate and organise. For the policyholder, having the safety net of the Concierge service and the support of Lorega’s Loss Adjusters was vital. As the venue and charity were run by volunteers, managing this claim without expert help would have been a lengthy and complicated process. They would also have lacked the project management skills and access to very niche contractors.

Initiating the drying process early and securing an interim payment to assist with cash flow was key for the policyholder. The venue was able to partially reopen while the reinstatement works were carried out in the background.

Helping clients when they need it most

This is exactly why effective claims management matters.

By embedding Lorega Claims Concierge into our products, we are giving policyholders access to expert support as part of their cover, rather than leaving them to navigate a complex claim alone.

For brokers, this strengthens the conversation around renovation insurance. It gives your clients practical claims support from Lorega’s experienced team who understand how to prepare, manage and negotiate qualifying claims.

This reinforces our commitment to helping your clients through every stage of their renovation journey, including when the unexpected happens.