[Me]

I was just interested in what insurance you guys use for your garage conversion home cinemas. I have recently converted my garage into a home media room. From the outside the Garage looks normal, but inside it is converted into our media room. Because however, it is still classed as a garage it is only covered for up to £3000 on the home contents insurance. After ringing around several insurers they all say the same, as a garage, up to £3000. As you can appreciate I need alittle more insurance cover than £3000.
If the Garage had been fully converted it would be classes as another room and the insurance is not an issue. What do you all do in terms of insurance or do you just not bother. Anyone got any good insurers who specifically cover this type of insurance?
Thanks Mark

[sem1604]

Currently finishing off my Garage conversion, and in the same boat got way over £3000 worth of kit going in in two weeks time, im just accepting the fact that i can only claim for that amount max and touch wood hope the worst doesn't happen.

[Me]

I thought I might update this post with some of my findings when searching for Insurance. I have at last found a company that will insure the contents of my media room to the value that I specified, I have gone with AXA.
Interestingly virtually every other company automatically put a ceiling on garage contents cover at between £2000 - £3000. This might sound enough for any one item but in the case of a fire or room clearout the total would only be at this limit which is simply not enough.Even if you list expensive items, companies would not offer anymore total cover for a garage. If you have fully converted your garage and recieved all the paper work, specifically listing it as not being a garage, then the normal house insurance covers the contents, but many of us just fit out the interior of an existing garage leaving the external untouched. Another issue that came up with several companies was what the garage was being used for if it was not a garage. They where prepared to offer the cover but not if the room was used as a cinema where more than two people would be pesent. To offer insurance they would need conformation that planning regs had been issued on the build. The best one, quoted by several companies was specific to my build. Because I have converted a double garage but not used the whole garage, part is still a garage/workshop, they would not offer cover because the garage was still used as a garage even though part of the garage was not a gargage but still classed as a garage (do you understand this, because I dont). Because of this they coud not classify the use of the room and hence not offer cover to the value I needed. Anyway, moral of this story is dont assume you are insured until you ring your insurance company and explain all.