[This posting has been removed]

I'd be very wary about relying on normal home insurance to cover workshops, built-in or otherwise. My double garage is attached to the house and is linked into the alarm, but it still isn't covered. Way back my home insurance only covered £2k in garages to cover the sort of thing most people have like lawnmowers and DIY power tools. When I asked about cover for other items like a lathe and mill all I got was a silence, and then a no we don't cover. In other words they had no idea what they were and it's easiest to say no.

I have a friend on another forum who confidently told me that his detached, but brick built, garage and workshop was covered by his holdhold insurance up to £30k. A couple of years later he sheepishly told me his wife had made some comment when renewing, and the insurance company had said nothing was covered, and never had been.

My workshop machines, tooling, part built engines and materials are covered by Walter Midgeley. They're by no means cheap, but they seem to be only player in town. A couple of years back when I thought about changing I couldn't find anyone else other than a few one man and his dog brokers who all led back to WM..

Andrew

I have just renewed our house insurance this month and changed to a different company due to rising cost of the previous outfit, ended up with the Halifax and made it very clear regarding workshop items and sporting firearms and assured all are covered. Workshop is within the house building but with a separate entrance all alarmed with a fully monitored system plus physical deterrents as well. Usual disclaimers but found them very efficient and helpful.

John

After changing insurance company every year (household and car) I started putting all the details back into the current insurers website, getting a cheaper price. Then I called and insisted they matched the price, which they do. I did the same with household and car insurance for my mum a few months ago.

When I renewed my own insurance last month I did the above and got the standard 20% or so off the car insurance. But the household insurance online quote was more expensive, instead of the 40% or so I normally get off – very odd. I also got an email reminder for my aircraft insurance, with a long spiel about how the number of insurers had declined, equals more expensive insurance. But the quote was comfortably less than last year! Even odder.

Andrew

[This posting has been removed]

Check the small print, anything insurance companies can get away with they will.

Generally theres in excess of £30k in equipment and tools and dont want to hear the price they would command.
Business insurance even worse going back 9 years, couldnt find any that would undertake when mentioned revolving machinery.

I had the same problem when my then insurer would not seriously increase the valuation of the workshop contents. "They did not cover such items", strange really when they provide the insurance cover WM sell!!

So I went to Hiscox, no problems at all and no limitation on the sums insured.

Edited By KWIL on 17/03/2019 16:51:55

I fear a few posts have shown a touching innocence when it comes to cover: you always have to read the policy! I wouldn't go so far as to claim insurance is a racket, but it's certainly a hard-nosed business rather than cuddly Meerkats organised to hand out money.

One common booby trap is the need for claimants to prove that the items existed and to demonstrate their actual value. As a proportion of claims are false most assessors require proof that claims are justified. For all they know your workshop never existed, or you sold it at a car-boot sale to pay for Smack. And even if you can prove ownership they tend not to value elderly equipment as highly as enthusiasts! Wishfully vague suggestions may be rejected outright. It's a good idea to keep records – photographs, notes and receipts.

Dave

Plus one for the NFU, my local office is very helpful, I made a list of all my stuff, and my estimate of what it would cost to replace, it is surprising how it adds up. Don't forget your completed and part completed models, they add up as well. Preparing a list and giving the insurance a copy before you sign up is a great help if you need to make a claim. The price comparison sites do not cater for folks like us.

Chris Gunn

+1 for the importance of having proof regarding your tools and equipment if need to make a claim. My workshop was burgled several years ago. The scrotes stole a lot of my Snap-On spanners, sockets etc. I had bought these 30+ years ago when I was "hands on" at work. Even when told this, the insurance company requested receipts for all the tools or they weren't going to pay out. Unluckily for them I had previously taken a high definition photo of each open drawer in my tool cabinet, so they did replace all the tools which were stolen.

This insurance company (who I had been with for 12 or so years) pretty much added the claim amount to my renewal; this seemed to be more than taking the mickey to me. So in searching for another provider, I got to read a lot of small print as regards levels cover for the contents of outbuildings; quite a few limit outbuildings cover to £1000, which wouldn't cover my garden tractor let alone any tools and equipment.

I'm with Intelligent Insurance at the moment, my brother, who has much the same workshop kit is with Hiscox, neither of these companies are cheap, but a cheap policy could turn out to be an expensive but essentially worthless piece of paper IMO.