storm - fence down, shed roof off!

jodenice

We moved into our new flat last year (our first mortgage) and we've been slooowly trying to do it all up. We have been working on the garden and last week we were so pleased as its nearly finished, we put a new shed up and painted the fences,, anyway, we were proud and it looked nice.

and these storms came last night and even though we did our best to prop things up and tie them down, it still ended with the shed roof flying off and both fences falling down and the large gate falling over at the bottom of the garden.

we are with Lloyds home insurance, which is underwritten by royal sunalliance and i thought that as we have storm damage that we'd be covered. But I am hearing more and more that actually fences and gates are NOT included. Is this right? I am obviously going to phone them but you know what they say - forewarned is forearmed... anyone got any advice?

_Andy_

Yep fences aren't usually covered for storm damage etc.

Steve1981

It will be listed under 'whats not covered' in your policy booklet - though fences are 99% not going to be- the gate as its fixed might be different but I doubt it.

What you really need to ask yourself before you phone them is, is it really worth me trying to make a claim anyway for a couple of fence panels? probably nothing more than about £60 for the pair - you will get a loading at renewal/lose any claim free discount. You also need to consider the fact that if you enquire about a possible claim and are told it would not be covered - some insurers still load your policy on the basis that its a loss and you would have claimed if you could have - that means for the next three years you are going to pay a higher premium (which will probably equate to more than the panels in the first place)

adding the gate and the shed roof to the senario it might be worth adding it all up and seeing what it would cost to do yourself.

I've always viewed insurance as something that should be saved for the bigger things, fire, theft, storm damage to the actually home itself- this way you week your premiums down and dont exclude yourself from some insurers from getting renewal quotes each year.

S

jodenice

yeah i wouldn't mind if it was a couple of fence panels but its the entire fence and a bit of the wall they were against, its not 'panel' type fencing, its the fencing where each post is seperately overlapped against the next bit and the next, well where the wind has been blowing them back and forth they have generally snapped or flown across the garden.

PeteTong_2

3 fences down here. One of them broken in half by the fall !
Also a few roof slates came off and its blowing a gale at the moment too so could be more damage on the way.

Debt_Free_Chick

jodenice wrote: »

yeah i wouldn't mind if it was a couple of fence panels but its the entire fence and a bit of the wall they were against, its not 'panel' type fencing, its the fencing where each post is seperately overlapped against the next bit and the next, well where the wind has been blowing them back and forth they have generally snapped or flown across the garden.

Shiplap or feather-edge fencing.

Problem is that fences are deliberately designed so that they blow down when the wind is strong enough. Otherwise, the whole structure could be ripped from the ground :eek:

Freddie_Snowbits

Came home once in a storm after a footie match. Good Lady Freda said TV had gone on blink! Not surprised I said dear, Chimney in font yard be reason for that! Could not find black cat either, not til morning and found shed on side. Still no cat, so righted shed, opened door and cat waltzed out.

At least I got my roof fixed for nought. When man from roofers turned up to fix, he said did the surveyor go up here, I said no, to which he remarked that someone had done a cowboy job last time and they would not normally do this. Still Freda calls me a cowboy. Annoyed I had to pay for a new aerial, but I never did pay them as they went bust! Nice storm that one.

luckyjasond

jodenice wrote: »

We moved into our new flat last year (our first mortgage) and we've been slooowly trying to do it all up. We have been working on the garden and last week we were so pleased as its nearly finished, we put a new shed up and painted the fences,, anyway, we were proud and it looked nice.

and these storms came last night and even though we did our best to prop things up and tie them down, it still ended with the shed roof flying off and both fences falling down and the large gate falling over at the bottom of the garden.

we are with Lloyds home insurance, which is underwritten by royal sunalliance and i thought that as we have storm damage that we'd be covered. But I am hearing more and more that actually fences and gates are NOT included. Is this right? I am obviously going to phone them but you know what they say - forewarned is forearmed... anyone got any advice?

How about "the bomb" in your garden you wrote about recently????

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=768597

I'm still hoping to find out what it was...:rolleyes:

Steve1981

luckyjasond wrote: »

How about "the bomb" in your garden you wrote about recently????

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=768597

I'm still hoping to find out what it was...:rolleyes:

thats a quality thread:D