Gates on a property?

Do you get cheaper home insurance with gates on your property in France I’m just wondering if it’s like that because every property around here have them

1 Like

I think you may find that it is to do with defining the boundaries of the property so that an intruder may be officially considered to be a trespasser. It sort of makes it plain that your driveway is not actually part of a ‘Chemin Rural’ for example.

2 Likes

Are you legally able to take action then I don’t really see the point of the trespassing aspect of a gate then I understand if you have animals ore kids

Why not ask your neighbours/ locals why they have gates… ???

1 Like

Jeez Stella the thought of such a simple solution :joy:

The simple things are often overlooked… in the great scheme of things… . :wink:

1 Like

It’s never been a question we’ve been asked when taking out house insurance, so I think probably not. Round here the people who have gates are those with dogs, hens and/or small children, and it is to keep them in not keep people out. Although we have gates now to stop neighbours cattle from coming into our garden.

1 Like

Don’t most houses in most countries have gates? As far as I can remember, every house I’ve ever lived in that has had a garden, has had a gate. It think it would look kind of unfinished without one.

1 Like

Yes, yes, Anna. But one has to think aspirationally, ahead of the pack. Mere gates are so wretchedly…“gatey”, don’t you see?

Moats, portcullises and draw-bridges are sine qua non in these parts. Not to mention escutcheons and heraldic devices. Not chez vous ?:thinking::face_with_monocle::shushing_face:

6 Likes

Not in my home country ore any of the neighboring country’s I can see the charm in like a big building to have a wall and big gates but not on the small bungalows that the French loves so much here it makes the houses look like small prisons just my taste then

Personally I am a fan of the old axim that “Good fences make good neighbours” and good gates certainly stop the local roaming dogs from making a mess in one’s driveway.

In my experience of France at least, and certain parts of Scotland, and Germany, it pretty much depends on where you live. At the end of a country lane with nowhere else to go, or accessing a farm, not having a gate didn’t seem to make much difference to anyone, especially given the nuisance of having to open and shut it each time you needed to go out, which was possibly several times a day, but perhaps I’m just too rural…

But there’s often an old bit of baling twine hooked over a bush somewhere…does the job pretty well.

2 Likes

Which blows in the wind and ends up at some stage strewn all over the place :slight_smile:
Like Christmas decorations all year round !

In rural Wales a gate makes the difference between stray sheep wandering in and eating your flowers and not :wink:

2 Likes

Even in France :wink: if only our neighbour’s cows would use the front entrance instead of trampling through the hedge !

We currently have a calf in the field next door who seems to be Harry Houdini reincarnated !

1 Like

The locals here look with disdain at someone nearby who has fenced and gated their land, hedges seem to be acceptable though and we are trying to hedge our (200m) frontage to give more privacy, but at the same time want to maintain access for the deer that come through.

I always found it rather amusing that some properties had gates but no fence. Of course, there is often an entry system with gates.

3 Likes

Hi @Bajen, a bit late but as a broker I can confirm the presence (or lack of) gates doesn’t impact the premium at all whatever the company EXCEPT for car insurances with some insurers (like AXA for example). Some insurers do ask about the proximity of neighbors though. Hope that answers the question? :wink:

1 Like

I find this so funny too, the French seem to build the biggest, most extravagant gates and entrée then there’s a little wire fence where the dog could get over.
I think they think it’s a status symbol or suggesting they are better than the rest.