Walker Midgley now go under the name of “Everywhen” and I have insured with them  for quite a few years.

For £15000 (probably woefully under valued) worth of cover this year cost close to £200 which I think is rather expensive when you get your house and contents insured or car for not much more.

Unfortunately most insurers are not interested in insuring equipment kept in sheds and garages not physically attached to your house and when they do the additional cost becomes astranomic.

Hobsons choice I’m afraid.

Andy

Judging by my recent renewal “Everywhen” seems to have kept the Walker Midgley brand, at least this time round.

I think the best approach is to consider your own risks and adjust the cover to suit as far as the options allow.

Could the workshop burn down?

Is it too accessible to burglars?

Which is the more valuable – equipment or models? Which items would be most likely to be stolen? The scum would likely take a large-scale model if they can, or something like a big copper boiler, but probably not a heavy, unwieldy lathe. They might take any house/garden tools also in the workshop, though.

Can you keep at least some of the most valuable in the house? Would it be home contents and luxury / valuable possessions?

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I am not sure if Everywhen /WM offer home insurance but given I have discovered how much my present one, my bank, is charging over twice the average premium for no good reason, I might ask it when renewal falls due.

I commented caustically to them that I might not mind the hefty premium so much if some of my money was not being wasted on pseudo-intellectual “branding consultants” needlessly changing to name to nothing meaningful.

If you think insuring machne tools is hard don’t try used electronic test equipment. Conversation with agent goes something like: me “for example a R&S FSH-3 with all the options, new replacement cost £28,600.” Them “So that’s quite big then?” “no it’s portable, all fits in a medium size peli-case”… They didn’t want to know and would not even consider an agreed value at what I paid for it (about £2300 in stages). I’ve got individual bits of test equipment that cost well into six figures new (and have current model replacements at similar cost) some of which I paid less than £100 for. There is a bit of cover under the household insurance if it bunt down but you would have to be careful what you claimed for.

Robert.

I am insured with NFU Mutual, and have an endorsement to increase the cover for theft from garage and outbuildings. (At our previous, larger, property the diesel lawn tractor was a specific item.)