Get your garden covered this summer

• Top Tips
• Published: 30 Jul 2010 in Household and Home Insurance

By Sue Hayward

You lock up your house before heading off on holiday, so why not your back garden? Half of us admit forgetting to lock the shed according to M&S Money, and with garden thefts increasing by 60 per cent over the summer we’re handing out open invitations to opportunist thieves.

When it comes to what you’re covered for, 42 per cent of home insurance policies offer less than £1,000 cover for contents left outside, according to financial research group Defaqto. Yet we’re proving to be big spenders when it comes to our green-fingered habit, spending £7 billion a year on everything from posh patio heaters and sun dials, to garden ornaments and expensive plants and shrubs. And don’t forget the kids’ toys; even a toddler's swing and slide complex can set you back around £500 if it’s damaged or stolen.

Shop around for contents insurance and you can get cover up to £5,000, as standard, for items in sheds and greenhouses and £2,500 for items left outside like statues and furniture - but there’s often a ‘single article limit’ of around £250 depending on your policy.

So what’s covered?

Anything fixed in place. So water features and ornamental garden walls along with sheds and greenhouses count as ‘fixtures and fittings’ and come under your buildings insurance cover; while anything portable like BBQs and tables and chairs are covered under contents insurance. 

When you’re buying home insurance you’re more likely to choose a policy for the level of protection inside your house, but if you’ve spent time and money on your garden it’s worth checking what it offers in the way of garden cover too before you buy.

…And what’s not?

Some insurers have unlimited cover and will include plants and shrubs, whereas others won’t cover plants as standard - so if you’ve got expensive greenery like olive trees do, check the small print first.  Even policies that claim to cover plants may not pay out for accidental damage if, say, your kids wreck the garden during a boisterous game of football. 

Other typical exclusions will be damage to fences caused by floods and storms and bikes won’t usually be covered if they’re left in the garden or on the driveway. Either lock them up or get specialist bike cover. 

Do watch where you put your pretty pots and ornaments; most insurers only cover items up to your property boundary, so that won’t include anything on a shared driveway even if it’s just two feet outside your garden.

Protect your property

In most cases if the standard cover on your policy isn’t enough you can usually ‘upgrade’ to increase the cover. Most policies cover you if you’re away for up to thirty consecutive days, and while the annual summer break may be a two week affair for most of us, if you’re taking the family to Australia to visit relatives for their six-week school break do tell your insurer. 

Before you go lock away lawnmowers, bikes, garden tools and anything that can be easily picked up in a garage or shed and check they can’t be seen through the window. Give the impression you’re home, while you’re away, to deter thieves say leaving a car on the drive, even if it’s your neighbour’s second car, arranging for someone to take in your wheelie bin and using a timer to switch on indoor lights.