Latest News Stories

Garden-lovers reminded to be prudent

19/05/06

With summer just around the corner, green-fingered homeowners are receiving a timely reminder to make sure their outdoor property is properly covered by their home insurance.

UK consumers spend over £4 billion on plants, shrubs, lawns, garden furniture and outdoor features but many people neglect their gardens when it comes to protecting their property.

A recent Gardening Which? survey revealed that 1.6 million households have had items stolen from their gardens, with an estimated £90 million worth of goods being swiped by thieves.

In addition, a further 60,000 people claim to have been victims of garden vandalism and one in ten people have suffered from damage caused by their children or grandchildren.

The task of rebuilding a damaged garden can be extremely daunting but the right insurance policy can provide you with complete peace of mind, paying for the expenses incurred to return your garden to its former glory.

Andrew Goodsell, chief executive of home insurance provider Saga, comments: "Gardens can really enhance the look of a house – indeed our recent research shows that 82 per cent of people regard the garden as the most important feature when house-hunting.

"People often invest a great deal of time and money on sprucing up their garden, which is why it makes sense to protect your garden and equipment from theft or damage."

Simon Stanney, head of product at over 50s insurer RIAS, warns that many people wrongly assume that certain garden items are covered under their standard home insurance policy.

"People are spending more time and money in their gardens than ever before, so it is important that they check that their insurance policy offers the right level of cover for their gardens and the buildings in them," adds Mr Stanney.