What counts as a bedroom??

alphabeta77

Hi all,

I've just bought a 6 bedroom property and have noticed a lot of Insurance providers only cater for houses with 'up to 5 bedrooms'.

There's only two of us in this property and we intend to convert one of the rooms into a walk in wardrobe, so I'm just curious when the Insurance companies ask how many bedrooms I have what the correct answer should be?

Is it the number as sold, or the number I use as bedrooms (ie one) or the number with beds etc!

Don't want to invalidate my insurance, but be good to know if I can go with mainstream insurance!

luci

It's the number of rooms that can be used as bedrooms, regardless of whether they are used for something else currently, eg a dining room.

If you were to sell it after you have converted the bedroom, how many bedrooms would you be saying it had?

HappyMJ

A broker might be a better option where you put the full rebuild value of the property on the insurance proposal rather than count the number of bedrooms and living rooms. I wouldn't count a small single bedroom that you have converted into a walk in wardrobe as a bedroom as long as there are no doors leading onto the landing/hall.

paddedjohn

I would say its the number of rooms used as bedrooms, if one is used as a dressing room then its not a bedroom anymore. If the op was to sell then they could say 5/6 bedroom house or convert the room back and say 6 beds.

olly300

paddedjohn wrote: »

I would say its the number of rooms used as bedrooms, if one is used as a dressing room then its not a bedroom anymore. If the op was to sell then they could say 5/6 bedroom house or convert the room back and say 6 beds.

That wouldn't work.

I know plenty of people with home offices/studies and the only ones who get away with not saying their study is not a bedroom are ones who have it in a different part of the house to the bedrooms, don't have any permanent beds/wardrobes in the room and have fixed floor to ceiling shelving covering most of the walls.

If the OP put in fixed wardrobe fittings, there was no bed in the room and it was very difficult to fit a bed in the room then it would be a wardrobe as it would not be easily and quick to convert it back into a bedroom.

Personally I would just go through a broker as then you wouldn't have any issues with the insurer not paying out in future, and having to fight with them.

mikey72

If it is a true conversion, I can't see how it could be anything other than a 5 bedroom now.
Just taking the bed out of the room opposite wouldn't be, but moving the walls, adding/removing doors etc upstairs would "downsize" it to a 5 bed.
I know a few terraces where the bathroom has been moved upstairs, and the third bedroom converted. Now sold as 2 beds rather than 3.
Similarly, I know of some where the front bedroom has been partitioned, to make a 4 bed out of a 3.

InsideInsurance

You need to check the definition for the insurer in question. Some have it as a positive description (ie those with beds in them) where as some have it as a negative description (ie all rooms that are not kitchens, bathrooms etc)

TSx

The most common definition I've seen would include the walk in wardrobe if it was originally intended to be a bedroom, eg (from the AA, but many are similar)

Bedroom A room used as a bedroom or originally intended to be used as a bedroom but now
used for other purposes

As InsideInsurance says, the only way to be sure is to ask the insurer.

This is particularly relevant as if the insurer says they wouldn't have insured you if they'd known you had 6 bedrooms, they may be able to void the policy in the event of a claim.

luci

Bedroom A room used as a bedroom or originally intended to be used as a bedroom but now
used for other purposes

I have a room which was originally intended to be used as a bedroom. However it is now a fully fitted kitchen and there is no way it could be classed as a bedroom without major renovation work.

*Scarlett

If the room has been changed in such away that it could be no longer used as a bedroom (convertded to a kitchen or bathroom) then you can declare as the lower amount of bedrooms.

But a study or a storage /wardrobe room could still be used as bedrooms.

There are companies that will quote on the rebuild value of the property rather than the number of bedrooms but make sure you don't under insure.

alphabeta77

Cheers all - spoke to insurance and they've confirmed it's the number of rooms I'd list at sale. Think InsideInsurance is right - can't just be any room that could be used as a bedroom (eg dining room), otherwise I'd have a 16 bedroom house!