Saunas, house value and home insurance

Updated by the Home Sauna Guide Team

The short answer

There's no reliable Irish data on whether a sauna adds value, so buy one for your own use, not as an investment. Tell your home insurer: a garden sauna is an outbuilding and a heat source, and insurers expect to hear about material changes. Keep the electrical completion certificate and planning evidence for when you sell.

On this page
  1. House value
  2. Home insurance
  3. Paperwork to keep
  4. Common questions

House value

We couldn't find any Irish research on saunas and house prices. What we can say:

  • It's personal. Some buyers will love it; others will see it as something to remove.
  • Most saunas are removable, and many owners take indoor cabins with them.
  • Quality and compliance matter. A well-kept garden building that meets the planning exemption and has certified wiring is easier to sell with than a tired one.

Home insurance

Aviva's standard home policy, for example, covers the structure of garages and outbuildings, and contents kept in them, within your sums insured. Items designed to be permanently left in the open need optional garden cover. All insurers ask you to tell them about material changes in circumstances.

  • Tell your insurer before or soon after the sauna is installed.
  • Check your buildings sum insured covers the extra cost of rebuilding the sauna, its base and wiring.
  • Ask about outbuilding limits, and whether a wood-burning stove changes anything.
  • Keep the completion certificate: insurers may ask for proof that the wiring was done by a registered electrical contractor.

Paperwork to keep

  • The electrician's completion certificate.
  • The receipt, warranty and manuals.
  • For garden saunas, measurements and a note of how it meets the planning exemption. See planning permission.

Common questions

Does a sauna add value to a house?

There's no reliable Irish data on it. A well-built garden building may appeal to some buyers, but a sauna is a personal choice and most can be removed or taken with you. Don't buy one expecting to get the money back when you sell.

Do I need to tell my home insurer about a sauna?

Tell them. Insurers ask you to tell them about material changes to your home. A garden sauna adds an outbuilding and a heat source, and both your buildings sum insured and any outbuilding limits may need updating.

Is a garden sauna covered by home insurance?

Many policies cover garages and outbuildings within the buildings sum insured, but limits and conditions vary. Check your policy, and ask your insurer whether a sauna changes your cover or premium.

What paperwork will I need when I sell?

Keep the electrician's completion certificate, the receipt and manuals, and evidence that a garden sauna meets the planning exemption, such as its size and position. A buyer's solicitor may ask.

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