So, you’re seriously considering investing in a brand-new garden office for your home. We don’t blame you! They’re the perfect addition, providing priceless convenience and comfort for those who work from home.
There’s one essential factor to consider when purchasing a garden office - and it’s insurance. Does standard home insurance cover it? What about your valuables and can they also be protected, too?
We’re here to help. In this article, we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions we receive here at Rubicon Garden Rooms regarding garden office insurance.
Read on to discover what you need to know about garden office insurance…
Do I need garden office insurance?
Of course, there are benefits to obtaining garden office insurance, and we’d always recommend you seek cover. However, whether you require garden office insurance will depend on personal preference.
If you plan on kitting out your garden office with valuable equipment, ensuring you have insurance in place will provide you with peace of mind and reassurance, not only for your items but for the building itself.
It’s always better to prepare or have a contingency plan for any accidents or mishaps. After all, building insurance will protect you against any structural damage, and if you’re opting for contents insurance, you can rest assured knowing that you’re prepared for any unpleasant surprises.
None of us like to think about it, but burglaries, flooding or weather-related accidents can and do happen. Plus, you know what they say - better safe than sorry!
Are garden offices covered by home insurance providers?
In short, sometimes, but not always. As there are plenty of providers in the UK that offer home insurance with garden office cover, check your current home insurance policy, just in case.
If your home insurance provider does cover garden offices, it’ll likely just be a case of updating your existing policy as often they will only provide a low level of cover e.g £5,000 which will be insufficient if your garden room costs over £20,000! So, it's best to check, just in case. However, if you find that they don’t cover garden offices (often referred to as outbuildings in policy documents), don’t worry. You’ll just need to find a provider you’re happy with and take out a separate insurance policy that suits your requirements.
Please note that some home insurance providers will require you to wait until your renewal date to capture both your house and outbuilding under the same policy.
Click here for more information on our Bespoke garden offices
What about contents insurance?
Contents insurance is available for garden offices, but you’ll need to read the policy and its terms and conditions carefully. For example, some insurers may include a single-item limit within their agreements, which tends to have a limit of up to £2500.
Similar to home insurance, most providers will require evidence for a contents insurance claim. For example, if valuables have been stolen from your garden office, the provider may require evidence of a forced entry and copies of purchase invoices to authenticate the claim.
Am I legally required to have insurance?
In the UK, garden office insurance is not a legal requirement. However, a garden office is simply an extension of your home, and we advise you to treat it as such!
After all, the majority of people here in the UK seek home insurance, so it only makes sense to financially protect yourself from any problems that may arise in the future.
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Are there insurance options for garden offices?
There are plenty of providers here in the UK, and there are even specialist insurers that focus solely on outbuildings, including garden office (outbuildings) insurance packages. It's particularly important to notify your insurers if you are running your own business from your garden office (as opposed to being employed by others but working from your home office) as otherwise your insurance may be invalidated.
There are many websites that will help you refine your search, so we strongly recommend researching what’s available and matches your requirements. For example, Compare the Market is a great online platform for finding information about insurance policies.
Garden office security tips
See below for our straightforward advice that will help to keep your garden office safe and secure.
- Always ensure that your windows are locked when you’re leaving your garden office. Note: Quality garden rooms have doors and windows which are to SBD (Secured By Design) standards and feature extra security ‘spigots’ on all doors and opening windows.
- When you’re leaving your garden office, place valuables out of sight.
- Consider installing an alarm system for additional security. Systems such as ‘Ring’ cameras are simple to fit and will alert you via your mobile phone if any snoopers are prowling around.
- Consider investing in CCTV or other security features, such as motion sensor lights.
- This may sound odd, but strategic gardening around your garden office may deter burglars. If there’s a barrier to entry, potential robbers may decide it’s too difficult to execute without getting caught and decide not to proceed.
- Consider fitting integral window blinds to keep opportunist burglars away
Rubicon: the home of premium garden offices
We hope you’ve found our article on garden office insurance useful. If you’re thinking about investing in a new addition, we specialise in producing top-of-the-range office spaces at highly competitive prices.
See below for reasons why our customers choose us to create their garden offices:
- Rubicon is an award-winning company, renowned for providing exceptional garden offices and unbeatable customer service.
- We have a showroom, which you can visit 7 days a week (including evenings and weekends) via appointment.
- We are a family-run business established in 2006 that takes pride in our work. We’ll listen to what you want to achieve and deliver.
- We’re transparent about costs. You’ll never have to worry about any hidden fees!
- Rubicon is Trading Standards Approved, and we’re also a member of the Buy with Confidence Scheme.
- If you can't find the perfect size garden office for you, we also work on bespoke projects.
- Our installation time is quick (our average completion time is 2 weeks), ensuring as little disturbance to your everyday life as possible.
- All our experienced and friendly staff here at Rubicon are trained by us to an extremely high standard.
- Our highly skilled team are DBS-checked to ensure we provide the best quality service.
For a free, friendly consultation, contact Rubicon today, and we’ll be happy to discuss your garden office project
For more garden room information, inspiration and advice, read the Rubicon blog…