Barn Conversion Insurance

Home insurance for converted barns

If you are considering buying a barn to convert, one that has already been converted or if you already live in a barn conversion, you are probably considering the implications for your home insurance premium of owning and insuring such an unusual house. Converted barns are increasingly popular as a lifestyle choice and seen by many as the quintessential ‘Escape to the Country’ type of home. This has fuelled a demand among property developers for farmland and rural properties suitable for converting into modern living accommodation.

Barn conversions, by their nature, are typically unique both in design and construction and so from an insurance point of view, any insurance company that you approach for a buildings insurance quote for a converted barn will need to have a clear understanding of how the conversion was done and the extent of building conversion carried out. Unlike most newly-built houses that are usually developed on a large scale by established and familiar national building firms, converting a barn in theory can be carried out by any builder, as long as the builder works within the guidelines laid down by building regulations. It is not uncommon for barns to be converted as a ‘project’ by the eventual occupier of the barn and here again, from an insurance angle the competence of the builder is an unknown factor that the insurer would need to take into account when underwriting the buildings and/or contents insurance policy.

Many mainstream insurance companies will therefore tend to shy away from offering a household insurance quote, at least on standard terms, for a building that has been extensively modified from its original layout and is now being used as residential accommodation, for which typically the original barn building was never intended. For barn owners therefore, the potential market for competitive home insurance premiums may be restricted.

Fortunately QuoteRack works closely with insurance brokers who can offer you access to specialised schemes that are offered by niche insurance companies looking to insure converted barns. As well as insuring the barn itself, you may also be able to insure the property whilst it is actually undergoing conversion – a slightly different type of insurance policy as this will also involve insuring the building site, potentially.

How to insure a converted barn

If you have explored other avenues of enquiry in your search for cheaper barn insurance, then you are welcome to submit your details through the QuoteRack website, without cost or obligation to proceed when you receive your insurance quote.

If you click the 'Get a Quote' button on the right side of this page, you will be asked to complete an online form which when complete, will be sent to insurance brokers who specialise in arranging converted barn insurance.