3 February 2021

Insuring your Garden Office

By Steve Moores Dip CII CLIENT DIRECTOR
Woman working in her garden office

The garden path has become the new commute. According to a recent BBC article1, home workers are looking to put a bit of space between themselves and the office, and one way to do this is to build an office in your garden. It allows you to set up your office exactly how you want it and when work is finished, you can close the door and maintain an optimum work/life balance.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, shed sellers have seen a surge in demand for insulated, luxury outhouses that can be used as home offices. However, this also brings with it a challenge for home insurers.

At Aston Lark, we’re seeing an increasing number of enquiries about how to insure a garden office, which are often prefabricated or of non-standard construction. Modern construction means that prefabricated units can be quickly built and commissioned within days, but there a few things to consider when it comes to your home insurance.

You’ll need to let your insurer know that you’ve built a garden office. Have the details on hand, especially the structure (timber-framed, steel-framed, log cabin, for example) the cladding (plastic, timber etc.) and the roof (tiled, asphalt, shingles, glass fibre, pitched or flat). Insurers will also ask about the security as garden offices carry different security risks.

You will need to insure the structure for its replacement cost as new, including the fitting out of any electrics, heating and water.

You should also consider the additional cost of the contents, including furniture, office equipment stationery and Wi-Fi boosters. Many insurers limit the contents in outbuildings. Unless they’ve otherwise agreed it, you will be restricted by this figure, which can be as low as £1,000.

We offer a wide range of home insurance policies which can cover your home and your garden office. So, if you have or are considering a garden office, then call Aston Lark on 020 3846 5263.


1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55845735

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