Currently looking to move house. At the moment I have a brick garage, a long awaited dream even though it has no power and is separate from the curtilage of the house. Some of the properties we're looking at have wooden garages rather than brick (my ideal is brick on-site, or integral with the house). A garage is a hard red line for me, much to the annoyance of my partner. Though she needs a separate, ground floor room as workspace so there is some sort of balance on needs here. Anyway; will a wooden garage be not favourably looked upon by underwriters as a brick one. Or is it just a case of out of sight, out of mind and either will do?
Depends on the underwriter and other security measures. Generally postcode has more effect than construction type. At my old address we changed from wood/asbestos sheet to brick garage and it made zero difference to premiums but I did have proper ground anchors fitted.
I only have a wooden garage/ shed albeit very secure, far better than a crappy up and over door on a garage, so have had issues with insuring higher value bikes, PP especially when I first got it with Bemoto, and at this renewal they weren't great, so I looked around and found Bennetts accept wooden sheds as a garage, and it's in writing on their website.
I agree with you about up-and-over door insecurity. However, some up-and-over garage doors can be upgraded from 2-point to 4-point locking, significantly increasing their security. I realise I’ve derailed answering the OP’s question
Not related, but my mate keeps calling his shed a garage. Everytime there is a mention of it in the talk, it's always "my garage" - dude, that's not a garage, it's a shed! Never ending that.
I agree that a garage is really important, but so is the house & it's location! When house hunting, I've always put location and the house as priority, but always highlight to the misses that I'll be building a proper garage once we get settled in. Garages are relatively easy to build, a house is not. Good luck
Thanks for the input all of you. Postcode hopefully not an issue. I'm fussy re. location too, amongst other aspects Building a garage is an option but would be stretching the budget, no mortgage involved and don't want to dip into pension/investments so we have to work within what we have. Building a garage would bring the amount of money we have for the house down. Garage's, where there is one don't seem to create a significant/relevant premium. Plus not sure what he planning issues/hurdles are with a garage, this will depend on the planning policies and the council involved no doubt. I would far, far rather find somewhere with one already built. I can make the garage more secure if necessary. Layered security including a ground anchor is what I already have and would be doing the same.
Regarding the postcode, it is down to recorded crime rate and claim cost, not how rough the area is. So if a nice area has a few bikes/ cars nicked that area can be higher risk. There is an online way to check but I can’t remember off the top of my head. I will try and find out…..
Not the one I saw before but has the same info….. https://www.theclayclothcompany.co....AgFBmQXaPUO4eu6Auhp1cVfICeNNE938oJQJbVzojDVDi And then it breaks down even further, so you can pay more or less than a few streets away.
I think most of the insurance crowds are happy with Asgard Plod approved range of metal sheds. They arent pretty but are a fair price when you consider what a timber shitbox costs these days.
As above, it's basically down to the insurer. At my previous address I had a good large solid shed in the garden, and also use of a friendly neighbour's brick garage. I wanted to use the shed as it was the more secure option - you'd have to get through two side doors to get to it, whereas the garage was detached from any property and direct to the road. My then insurer was adamant that only the brick garage was a garage so in order for the policy to be valid it stayed in what was the less secure option. When I switched to (I think) Carole Nash the guy on the phone said they didn't care what the garage was made of so long as it was used as a garage. So the shed became the 'garage' ...
