At Thatched Owners Group we been helping home owners with their thatched properties for over 20 years. From our specialist Thatched Property Insurance, to offering essential advice on owning a listed building or finding a local craftsman in our Directory & Guides section, to finding a new thatched property in our online Property Sales section, Thatched Owners Group cover every aspect of thatched property ownership.
We can offer advice and assistance in the renovation and repair of your thatched house, and have a network of advisors and specialists on hand to give you, the homeowner, the help you need. Thatched cottages still represent a traditional image of rural life that is instantly recognisable around the world. For many, owning a typical thatched cottage represents the epitome of rural England. The Thatched Owners Group is here to help you enjoy living under thatch, wherever you may be in the UK.
At TOG we keep our finger on the pulse of the insurance world and constantly seek out new ways to better serve our customers. Our online system allows you to obtain your thatched property insurance quote in a quick and easy manner.
Specialist thatch property cover protects you against all the usual risks covered under home and contents insurance, with a focus on the slightly different risks the roofing material presents. The cover isn’t different per se, but the underwriting that sits behind it is specially tailored to reflect the risk presented by thatch properties.
Yes – there’s no getting away from it, insuring your thatched property may cost around a third more than a modern tiled house. The premium is affected chiefly by how you heat the house – woodburners and multifuel stoves can add to the cost simply because they involve flames, where radiators and other standard types of central heating don’t.
Fire is not a regular occurrence in thatched properties. But it’s a risk you ignore at your peril, and ordinary home insurance doesn’t cover it. Of the estimated 50,000 thatched buildings in Britain, Fire Service statistics reveal 60-70 per year will suffer some form of fire damage through burning wood or fossil fuels. You need to bear in mind you have a combustible roof and take advice from the experts – like us!
A combination of good housekeeping, regular maintenance and constant vigilance are your best weapons to cut the risk of a thatch fire. As a rule modern electricity, gas and sustainable heating systems present less fire risk than an open hearth or wood burning/multifuel stove.
Next to burning solid fuel, electrical problems are the biggest cause of fire in thatch. A Periodic Inspection Report carried out by a qualified (NICEIC) electrician should identify problems with wiring or installations that could cause damage or injury. Certificates will be either “satisfactory” (problems – if any – of a minor nature) or “unsatisfactory” meaning that problems will have to be addressed. Those found will be coded C1 (potentially dangerous) through to C3 (needs improvement to comply). The gap between re-inspection is usually 5-10 years depending on the electrician’s findings.
Yes, if you are starting from scratch compared to tiling in, say, concrete tiles, but not outrageously so. Thatch will need more regular maintenance than a conventional roof and will not, of course, last as long. A well thatched water reed roof will last the longest, followed by combed wheat (aka Devon wheat reed) and, lastly, longstraw. Good, well thatched Longstraw should last 20 years. The ridges on all types of thatch will need replacing every 5 years or so.
Our thatched property insurance policies are underwritten by triple-A rated companies who understand the particular needs of thatched properties – so you get the right level of treatment, cover and price, covering exactly the right things.
At Thatched Owners Group we have teamed up with leading estate agents to offer you an online portal to view detail on current thatched properties for sale across the whole of the UK.
Thatched roof property insurance is a special type of cover that’s tailored specifically for thatched roof properties. Unlike regular homes, thatched roof properties cannot be covered by a simple home insurance policy since the unique rebuild costs need to be accounted for. There’s also the fact that many thatched properties are listed buildings, which is another thing insurance providers must consider. This is why thatched roof property insurance is often best sought out from specialist providers.
It’s hard to give a simple answer to this question since the cost of a policy will depend on a few important factors, the main ones being the value of the property, where it’s located, whether or not it’s a listed property and the level of cover being taken out.
Yes, you can get unoccupied property insurance for a thatched roof property. The risks associated with an unoccupied property are something insurance providers need to take into account so if you’re going to be away from the property for more than 30 days, you’ll definitely need to get this type of cover.
If you have a thatched roof property that you own and let out to tenants, then you can get landlord insurance, which will enable you to get cover for risks such as loss of rent and damage to contents.
If your thatched roof property is listed, then this means you have an obligation to keep it in good condition and won’t be able to make changes to the structure without obtaining permission from your local council. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get cover for it however. Most good thatched roof property insurance providers will still be able to offer you cover at a reasonable rate.
