According to Co-operative Insurance, without due care and attention the only thing likely to be growing this summer is garden theft.
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Both the recent rise in UK temperatures and the impact of popular TV programmes has created a boom in garden-related expenditure, but this can so often result in easy-pickings for opportunist thieves.
Garden equipment like lawnmowers, rotavators, and power washers are all sought-after items for burglars, not to mention the decorative objects such as statues, pots and urns. These items, given their nature, can easily be loaded into the back of a van, without attracting attention, and off-loaded just as simply at car boot sales or other outdoor markets.
British Crime Survey figures put the number of burglaries in England and Wales at almost 750,000 in 2005/06, but there are straightforward measures that consumers can follow to avoid becoming one of these statistics.
For example, leaving gardening equipment, such as spades and rakes, on your lawn provides burglars with crucial tools needed to force entry into the home. Likewise those people with large gardens should be careful to close all house doors and windows, as leaving a key on a window ledge or garden wall is a common way of attracting unwanted visitors.
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Household insurance policies expect you to exercise due care and attention to prevent loss, therefore nipping inside for a cuppa whilst leaving a top-of-the-range lawnmower in full view on the front lawn could land you in deep water when you come to make a claim.
Most insurance companies provide cover for garden contents that are left out in the open under the contents section of the home policy. However special attention should be given to the policy details, as it is normal practice for insurance companies to impose a limit on the amount paid in respect of any one claim.
David Neave, Director of General Insurance at Co-operative Insurance, said: Nowadays people are spending increasing sums of money on their gardens, in particular when the sun is shining. However, many people fail to appreciate the total value of their garden items and, more importantly, how to safeguard them.
Garden valuables can be protected through your home insurance, but it is important to pay special attention to your policy and check exactly what is covered. Given the amount of time and money we now spend looking after our gardens, it should only be expected that we devote the same care and attention to the outside as well as the inside of our homes.
