Oh blimey insurance companies are driving us INSANE!!!
I have public and product liability.
BUT as I have a quite expensive purpose built studio in garden we want to get cover for that too. You would think it’s just a case of adding it to buildings insurance ( stating usage of course).
Our current provider seems to struggle with the concept but we do at least have a quote.
Thought we’d try another as it has been VERY complicated, an they have been disorganised to say the least.
All looked well with ADMIRAL - went through outbuildings, couple of sheds and my home studio - oh if that a purpose built studio for a business ? yes - sorry we cannot insure you AT ALL - what not even our house , NO not at all.
UNBELIEVABLE - nope their underwriters won’t let them ( although chap we spoke to on previous call seemed fine about it ?!?!?)
SO be aware - if with Admiral check your policies, don’t assume anything. If I find out any more I will let you know.
If any of you have recommendations please let me know please
Are there any local brokers in your area? That’s what I ended up doing for my freelancer’s insurance, the bog-standard ones were appalling or wouldn’t cover me because I didn’t tick the right boxes.
I was a very boring insurance broker type before I escaped that life for the handmade one, and the challenge you have is that there are SO many alternatives these days that it’s almost impossible to ensure you’re getting the best deal for any type of coverage in terms of the actual cover and the cost. If you’re buying direct from insurers, the best you can do is get a range of quotes and pick the one that looks reasonable to you.
There will be home insurers out there who would be able to cover your studio as an add on to your household insurance, but finding them will be time consuming. If you go to a broker rather than directly to an insurer, they SHOULD be able to find the right product for you, but not all brokers are created equal either - you ideally need a broker who offers both personal and commercial advice and the best way to get one is via recommendation of someone you know who has used them. In my experience, the best brokers are old established family type smaller firms.
The guy you initially spoke to at Admiral that was fine about it was probably just a call centre bod whose skills are in pleasing you, reading from a crib sheet and possibly knowing very little about insurance. He’d have to refer your query to someone who does know insurance, hence the change in advice.
My own knowledge of insurers and products is woefully out of date now, so I can’t give you a recommendation for a solution, but you might want to check out the recommendations given here: https://www.artquest.org.uk/how-to-articles/insurance/ I’m pretty sure that a standalone policy separate to your household insurance will end up costing more, but it’ll be tailored to your needs and give you the right sort of cover.
Hope you get it sorted soon without too much more frustration!
I’m covered for Product and public liability and we have finally just nailed down the details for coverage of studio and contents with Home Protect.
But I am still trying to get Admiral to confirm their stance " Either you don’t want to insure homes with home workshops as I was told or there is staff training issue " … ( one person assured us everything was covered when we got quote, but bounced us when we came to pay " it worries me that others might be making assumptions /been badly informed.
Thanks - I agree with your analysis of what has probably happened . The issue wan’t so much the money ( we expected to pay a bit more ) just getting accurate coverage. We are sorted now .
