House build date and insurance

[Matt..]

How accurate do insurance providers expect you to be?

I'm not 100% certain when my house was built. It's between 1896 and 1901. However, some insurance providers give fairly different quotes for either side of 1900. eg. 15% more for pre-1900.

Does anyone know how much accuracy matters when you're selecting the age bracket with insurance?


Thanks

[Matt-il77s]

I'd assume they just want an approx date, when I had the survey done it said "Approx build date: 1915" so I just use that for insurance

[Heres Johnny]

I live in a barn conversion - barn was built circa 1900, conversion in 2000. I go with 1900. If you have something to base the date on, I wouldn't worry.

[Paul Drawmer]

Heres Johnny said:

I live in a barn conversion - barn was built circa 1900, conversion in 2000. I go with 1900. If you have something to base the date on, I wouldn't worry.

I used to work for a well known large rural insurer. Their underwriting for barn conversions was based on the conversion date. So if the roof was replaced and all the services done at conversion time, then the build date would be then. Usually reduced rates for later builds.

NOT all insurance policies are the same. You should check with your insurer if they want the actual build date, or the rebuild/conversion date.

[acme]

Paul Drawmer said:

I used to work for a well known large rural insurer. Their underwriting for barn conversions was based on the conversion date. So if the roof was replaced and all the services done at conversion time, then the build date would be then. Usually reduced rates for later builds.

NOT all insurance policies are the same. You should check with your insurer if they want the actual build date, or the rebuild/conversion date.

Intrigued in this one. I too live in a barn conversion and was told if there's one brick from the original building that must be the date, but it wasn't converted til the 80's and frankly given what it was there's very little of the original barnleft.

You didn't work for the N*U did you?

Edited by acme on Monday 5th June 14:07

[acme]

In answer to the OP's original question my insurer lumped all 1650-1900 builds together, as I was unable to more accurately date than a 30/40 year period. So this could impact yours.

Did you have a survey could that help?

[Heres Johnny]

acme said:

Intrigued in this one. I too live in a barn conversion and was told if there's on brick from the original building that must be the date, but it wasn't converted til the 80's and frankly given what it was there's very little of the original bar left.

You didn't work for the N*U did you?

What type of structure do you call your barn? I go for brick with tiled roof as that's what it has as doesn't seem to be a better option, not that it's anything like a regular house in design.

Our brick work is original, even the roof is using the original rafters (and very uneven as a result), and the tiles are the same (they were removed and refitted).

[Matt..]

My survey says approx 1900. So I'll go with that. It happens to save me a good chunk of money.

[acme]

Heres Johnny said:

acme said:

Intrigued in this one. I too live in a barn conversion and was told if there's on brick from the original building that must be the date, but it wasn't converted til the 80's and frankly given what it was there's very little of the original bar left.

You didn't work for the N*U did you?

What type of structure do you call your barn? I go for brick with tiled roof as that's what it has as doesn't seem to be a better option, not that it's anything like a regular house in design.

Our brick work is original, even the roof is using the original rafters (and very uneven as a result), and the tiles are the same (they were removed and refitted).

As far as I can see it's sitting on a concrete pad, brick lower part, with a wooden frame above. In essence the whole structure must've been raised in the 80's.

Some original timbers can be seen inside, with the original 1830-1870 roof trusses in the loft. As it was an open cartlodge type most is new frankly. However the NFU stated it's build date must be the original one, & so it's a lot more to insure. Though less than thatched I suspect.

[Paul Drawmer]

acme said:

Intrigued in this one. I too live in a barn conversion and was told if there's one brick from the original building that must be the date, but it wasn't converted til the 80's and frankly given what it was there's very little of the original barnleft.

You didn't work for the N*U did you?

Edited by acme on Monday 5th June 14:07

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