winchman 12 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Just wondering been looking at a building, its currently with planning as industrial use we are looking at using it as a private workshop for repairs / storage of the fleet, so any issues? How do you insure it? Just need the building and tools, vehicles will be insured separately Quote Link to post Share on other sites
galooph 10 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Took me ages to find insurance for my rented unit. Plenty of options if I was using it for commercial purposes, but as soon as I mentioned it was for private use only, insurers didn't want to know. In the end, I found https://www.insuranceprotector.co.uk/ and have been with them for several years now, though I've never had to make a claim. The policy they sorted out for me is with Commercial Express, and they were happy to amend some of the clauses, like allowing me to weld on my own without a second person as a fire watcher. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scammell4199 13 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 We own an industrial unit for our vehicles and its insured with Coversure, with an allowance for tools, equipment etc. Just make sure you get one that comes in under the floor area limit at which business rates kick in, because that gets expensive. Good luck, Richard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andym 29 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 16 hours ago, Scammell4199 said: We own an industrial unit for our vehicles and its insured with Coversure, with an allowance for tools, equipment etc. Just make sure you get one that comes in under the floor area limit at which business rates kick in, because that gets expensive. Good luck, Richard Surely if it's "industrial use" it will attract business rates anyway, or does that depend on the opinion of individual councils? Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scammell4199 13 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) Apologies i previously said it was done on floor area, its actually done on the rateable value, which your local council will have. They estimate this for all buildings in their area every few years, and then the rates you pay is a percentage of that. If your rateable value is below a certain threshold, i think its £15k you don't pay anything. There are also various reliefs for different reasons. Its all on the gov website. Edited January 12 by Scammell4199 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
winchman 12 Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 Thanks What do you tell the council and how do you describe it to the insurance? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
galooph 10 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 13 hours ago, winchman said: What do you tell the council and how do you describe it to the insurance? I think I described my unit as a non-commercial hobby workshop, or something similar. The magic words to mention to the Council are Small Business Rates Relief – https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/small-business-rate-relief. There's a link to apply for it on there. It doesn't matter that you're not a business, just that the building has a business rateable value. Assuming that you've just got the one unit and its rateable value is less than £15k, then you get 100% relief, paying nothing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rootes75 20 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Small business rate relief banding changed to 100% at £15k a few years back. Our unit has a rateable value of £9k and we had to pay rates each year, we dont now and unless the banding changes again will probably never have to again. We were always told its building not what goes on in there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scammell4199 13 Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 I must admit i was struggling to remember how it all panned out, but galooph and Rootes75 have hit the nail on the head. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
winchman 12 Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 Today problem is insuring a business building for private use! Cant find anyone as yet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scammell4199 13 Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 i think ours is with coversure. I think they struggled to comprehend the concept of an industrial premises being used solely for a hobby, so we just said its for restoration of army vehicles so they put that down as the business. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
winchman 12 Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 1 minute ago, Scammell4199 said: i think ours is with coversure. I think they struggled to comprehend the concept of an industrial premises being used solely for a hobby, so we just said its for restoration of army vehicles so they put that down as the business. But thats a business then when ours isnt? I will give them a go Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andym 29 Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 8 hours ago, Scammell4199 said: i think ours is with coversure. I think they struggled to comprehend the concept of an industrial premises being used solely for a hobby, so we just said its for restoration of army vehicles so they put that down as the business. Cornwall council planning had the same problem in that they were convinced a building had to be industrial even if used solely for a hobby, which is why they refused planning permission (twice and appeal!) 😞 Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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