Car Insurance - Garage

inked

Does anyone know what the minimum requirements are for a building to be classed as a garage for car or motorcycle insurance?

I currently have a car port with enough space at the rear of it to build a small garage but would rather get a metal / wooden shed style building than actually build a brick garage.

Astaroth

I dont think I have ever seen an insurer explicitly define a garage in the policy wording in which case you would be looking at the standard dictionary definition and I doubt any dictionary will state that a garage has to be of brick construction.

The reality is that many insurers dont rate on if you keep the car in the garage over night any more - because so many lie and say they do the relativities are almost 1 if not 1 and so the time wasted asking a question out weighs the very slight difference in premium (of cause there are exceptions)

pompeyrich

Astaroth wrote: »

I dont think I have ever seen an insurer explicitly define a garage in the policy wording in which case you would be looking at the standard dictionary definition and I doubt any dictionary will state that a garage has to be of brick construction.

My schedule, albeit with Chaucer, who I understand aren't the best, has an additional details sheet with details for modifications, security and garaging details. In my case, under garaging details and construction it states, "Garaged and Brick".

raskazz

Astaroth wrote: »

The reality is that many insurers dont rate on if you keep the car in the garage over night any more - because so many lie and say they do the relativities are almost 1 if not 1 and so the time wasted asking a question out weighs the very slight difference in premium (of cause there are exceptions)

True, but in this case we are discussing bikes and cars, and overnight garaging certainly makes a lot if difference to the theft risk of a bike...

Astaroth

raskazz wrote: »

True, but in this case we are discussing bikes and cars, and overnight garaging certainly makes a lot if difference to the theft risk of a bike...

It does make a difference to both in reality but the inevitable issue is that people always claim they garage their vehicle when they don't - some don't even have garages. Obviously if the vehicle is stolen from the home address and there isnt a garage the insurer can refuse to indemnify on the grounds of disception but given the question is "normally kept" then as long as there is a garage the policyholder just claims it was almost a one off that the vehicle wasnt in the garage because of XYZ and the insurer still has to pay out.

Insurers ultimately take a holistic look, you have to balance accurate risk assessment/ pricing -v- winning the business hence why insurers dont ask a massive amount of questions about the vehicle (colour, current mileage, metallic paint etc). Whilst they all change the risk (if nothing more than by changing the vehicle value) the operational time to deal with inputing these plus people not knowing so going off to a competitor that doesn't ask these details do not outweigh the fact the policy is now 1% more accurately priced.

pompeyrich

Sorry didn't clarify that the garaging clause is for the family moped, which is probably more attractive and easier to steal, to the younger joyrider, than the average car.

The "kept overnight" question is another insurance mystery, my son's car quote dropped £50 when he changed kept on "driveway" to "public road".

richardginger

Each insurance company would have it's own interpretation of your situation

raskazz

Astaroth wrote: »

Obviously if the vehicle is stolen from the home address and there isnt a garage the insurer can refuse to indemnify on the grounds of disception but given the question is "normally kept" then as long as there is a garage the policyholder just claims it was almost a one off that the vehicle wasnt in the garage because of XYZ and the insurer still has to pay out.

Unless a garaging warranty is added by area terms.