How to keep your gardens, garages and sheds safe

Your garden is a place to relax and grow prize-winning flowers. It’s also a source of hidden monetary value and may contain thousands of pounds worth of goods. If you have gardening tools, patio furniture, barbecues or garden ornaments, you’ll need to protect them from damage or theft.
 
Your buildings insurance should cover such items as walls, patios, sheds and conservatories, while your contents cover protects items that can be moved, ranging from garden gnomes and plants up to garden furniture. However, you may find that a standard policy only offers cover up to a certain level, so it’s worth checking that you have the right level of cover in place for your needs.
 
Add up the value of your garden contents
The average cost of theft from a garden is around £2,287, with the most likely items to be stolen including bikes, tools and garden equipment. Gardens, sheds and garages tend to be popular with thieves as they provide easier access, so it’s essential to add up the value of the contents you wish to protect.
 
Some insurers may not provide standard cover for high-value items in your garden and certain items, such as rare plants and exotic species, could be excluded. In this case, you’ll need to arrange an extension to your policy at an additional cost.
 
Here are eight ways to help protect your garden, garage and shed:

• In summer time, your garden items will be on display, so make sure you keep gates and other entrances locked at all times by good quality locks.
• Protect summer furniture from bleak winter weather and subsequent damage by keeping it in a safe, dry place.
• In wintertime, you’ll need to store items such as tools, lawnmowers, furniture and equipment in your shed or garage, so make sure they are also kept permanently locked (if necessary storing valuable equipment in a lockable steel box, and possibly fitting window bars on your shed).
• Think about investing in security lighting to deter would-be thieves and alert you if there’s someone in your garden.
• Strong borders that utilise thorny bushes, high fences and trellises can all help to make your garden more secure.
• After bad or cold weather, especially in spring time, check that your shed and garden walls or fences are in good condition – if not, make the necessary repairs.
• In the event of strong winds, fix ornaments and other less secure items to the ground, not only will they be harder to blow away, they’ll also be harder to steal.
• Don’t make it easy for a burglar – keep loose bricks and garden tools locked away, keep ladders locked up and wheelie bins, that could provide a handy leg up, secure.

Talk to TMD about your buildings and contents insurance, making sure you have additional cover, if necessary, for higher value items in your garden, garage or shed. It’s important to ensure you have the correct level of insurance in place to provide the protection you need in the event of damage, loss or theft. Call us today on 01992 703 000 or email insurance@mcdonaghs.co.uk

Our business is your protection.