Home insurance won't cover me for working from home?

[Tashaonline]

Hi
I am sorting things out at the mo to start doing beauty from home in the spare bedroom, rang the house insurance saying I am thinking of doing this and asked how much it would be etc to put a liability extension onto the current house insurance and they said they dont have any type of policy to cover me.

So I am not sure what to do now, do I just have to go to another company to get a liability insurance through them? and if so who do you recommend

Thanks

 

[Zo Zo]

Yes, unfortunately you will have to find another insurer. I know Norwich Union do a Homeworkers Policy but I would recommend you go to a local insurance broker, rather than an online company. Don't want to dishearten you but my premium is twice what it would be if I didn't work fom home. But there is lots of upside too. No rent. No travel to work. Can hang the washing out if a client is late :lol: etc etc

 

[Skyblue]

Its things like this that have put me off having a home salon so now I am looking to do mobile instead but I think I would rather work from home but it gets complicated with insurance and mortgage company etc.

Good Luck with your new venture

 

[h3llsb3lls]

Its things like this that have put me off having a home salon so now I am looking to do mobile instead but I think I would rather work from home but it gets complicated with insurance and mortgage company etc.

Good Luck with your new venture

i would def work from home if I could - you can earn more as you haven't got to faff around setting up all the time - i find mobile means my treatments take twice as long as. Also like the other poster said you can do things round the house that need doing between appts. Do the mortgage company really need to know?

 

[Jolicatellas]

Home and contents insurance is different to business & public liability insurance and generally handled by different types of insurance companies.

My business liability insurance is really cheap and affordable and covers me for up to 5mil. It also covers me for fire, theft, loss or damage of work property, if a customer trips over and breaks an ankle on the way out... that type of stuff.

My house insurance doens't cover my work stuff and my work insurance doens't cover my house hold items. And... my home insurance was not affected at all by me working from home b/c I'm covered already via my business & public liability insurance.

 

[Zo Zo]

Home and contents insurance is different to business & public liability insurance and generally handled by different types of insurance companies.

My business liability insurance is really cheap and affordable and covers me for up to 5mil. It also covers me for fire, theft, loss or damage of work property, if a customer trips over and breaks an ankle on the way out... that type of stuff.

My house insurance doens't cover my work stuff and my work insurance doens't cover my house hold items. And... my home insurance was not affected at all by me working from home b/c I'm covered already via my business & public liability insurance.

It may be different here in the UK. As far as I am aware, the hike in premium when you work from home is because of the number of strangers that visit your home.

 

[shedunlop]

Give The Halifax a try. Both my husband and myself work from home and they have covered us without too much of a hike in premium. I do still need professional liability and product liability and I have free public with my professional insurance.

 

[Tashaonline]

thanks for the replys , I searched the net for a while and went through the business link website for liability quotes and I got one for £47 a year which is cheapest I could find for the same cover

 

[Zo Zo]

It's not about treatment insurance, it's about your buildings and contents insurer being happy for you to work from home. If you call a company like, for example, Direct Line, they will not insure your home if you work from home and have visitors, i.e. clients of 3+ per day. It is nothing to do with being insured for the treatments you are offering. Hth's.

 

[zcook]

Hi

I contacted my insurance and let them know I would be working from home, there was no increase in premium, although they did put an exclusions on the policy that I would not be covered for theft from the home.

I have a seperate insurance policy for my treatments, public liability etc.

 

[Sharkster]

Hi

I contacted my insurance and let them know I would be working from home, there was no increase in premium, although they did put an exclusions on the policy that I would not be covered for theft from the home.

I have a seperate insurance policy for my treatments, public liability etc.

So if you get burgled the insurance will not pay out? Seems a bit risky to me? I'd get a proper 'working from home' policy which are available as ZoZo said (Direct Line for Business and the NFU also do them). Insurers will do anything to wriggle out of paying against a claim & what's the point in paying for insurance that does not covery you for theft?

 

[zcook]

I did it as I live in Guernsey, someone is usually always home and if we got burgled there is nothing to steal!

We are lucky enough to live on a small island 7 miles long so the crime rate is very low thankfully, but yes it is a risk, but a low one in my case.

Its something I looked into but couldnt afford the increase in premium.

 

[Skyblue]

i would def work from home if I could - you can earn more as you haven't got to faff around setting up all the time - i find mobile means my treatments take twice as long as. Also like the other poster said you can do things round the house that need doing between appts. Do the mortgage company really need to know?

I spoke to a business advisor and he really put me off working from home, he said there were too many barriers like insurance, neigbours, council tax, mortgage etc but I am going to phone some insurance companies and the council tomorrow to see what I need to do to be able to open a home salon as I do think this will be the best option for me if I can.

I agree there is a lot of time taken up driving to peoples homes and setting up etc

 

[Zo Zo]

I spoke to a business advisor and he really put me off working from home, he said there were too many barriers like insurance, neigbours, council tax, mortgage etc but I am going to phone some insurance companies and the council tomorrow to see what I need to do to be able to open a home salon as I do think this will be the best option for me if I can.

I agree there is a lot of time taken up driving to peoples homes and setting up etc

*Sigh* Just loving the positive and helpful attitude of the business advisor!! NOT.

Good for you in doing your own research.

By the way, for clarification, my buildings and contents insurer don't charge me extra for working from home. But in the past I have had quotes from the likes of Direct Line etc, and the cost was a lot less BUT they won't actually insure me :lol:

 

[Coversure]

Hi
I am sorting things out at the mo to start doing beauty from home in the spare bedroom, rang the house insurance saying I am thinking of doing this and asked how much it would be etc to put a liability extension onto the current house insurance and they said they dont have any type of policy to cover me.

So I am not sure what to do now, do I just have to go to another company to get a liability insurance through them? and if so who do you recommend

Thanks

Hi Tasha

I work for an insurance broker called Coversure, and i get lots of freelance hairdressers coming to me with the same problem as yourself. We work closely with the National Hairdressers Federation and The Freelance Hair and Beauty Federation to provide specialised schemes to help hairdressers with their insurance needs.
If you are still having trouble finding home insurance that will cover you for working from home, please feel free to give me a call, as i would be happy to help.

0800 458 8181

 

[Gizmogeek]

I just phoned our insurance (Aviva) and they say they dont cover this type of business i.e clients coming to your house/converted garage/log cabin etc at all!

So I need to find new insurance can anyone advise at all any companies to try I dont even know where to start. Will give coversure a phone but any others?

 

[Zo Zo]

I just phoned our insurance (Aviva) and they say they dont cover this type of business i.e clients coming to your house/converted garage/log cabin etc at all!

So I need to find new insurance can anyone advise at all any companies to try I dont even know where to start. Will give coversure a phone but any others?

Just phone up some local insurance brokers and talk through your situation with them. So, not a national company, not web-based, not a call centre, but a local insurance broker where you can build a relationship with a member of staff who will become your point of contact. I have had the same insurance broker for 19 years

 

[Buff]

Hi, i agree with ZoZo, however i got a quote from maddy @ Salon Gold for home & contents with an extension for business use, this was about £64 more expensive than my current home ins. policy. Plus their freelance public liability insurance. I am also looking to have a home salon in my spare room. Salon Gold were really helpfull but i will still be shopping around to see if i get a better deal.

 

[Ditzy]

So if you get burgled the insurance will not pay out? Seems a bit risky to me? I'd get a proper 'working from home' policy which are available as ZoZo said (Direct Line for Business and the NFU also do them). Insurers will do anything to wriggle out of paying against a claim & what's the point in paying for insurance that does not covery you for theft?

Just thought I'd add for others who might search like me, I'm in the process of setting up a nail salon from home. My current insurance company don't cover for working from home, so I went to a broker, he really did look for me, including ringing around and calling me twice to get more info, but came up with a quote that was over double what I pay now for home & contents. I have an interview at the Halifax tomorrow, but I noticed this from Sharkster and just filled in an online quote with Direct Line for Business, it's brilliant, it came up with the same as I'm paying for home & contents, but it included public & product liability, stock out of the home, all my kit while out of the home (so can still do mobile), and I can pay monthly with no extra interest!

Also BTW, I phoned my local council and they're fine with me doing it, but said to write to them including what I'd told them about how many customers, appointment only, etc. and they will send me a letter to show my neighbours that I'm allowed, if they get snotty or anything.

I'm gonna wait to see what the Halifax say tomorrow, but I think this is excellent!

 

[weezie]

Will you let us know what the Halifax say I am moving out of London and so looking to move from mobile to home x :hug: