Don’t Let Your Garden Go Uncovered: A Fresh Look at Home Insurance

And your outdoor room that combines relaxation and comfort, a sweet-smelling herb bed, and a homemade pergola should not be trifled with. However, with all the planting and trimming, do you ever find yourself thinking, “Is it insured?”

When most people think about their home insurance, they imagine leaky roofs or a burglar in the living room. The unfortunate reality is that your garden may be at more risk and worth more than you think to burglars.

What’s Really at Risk?

That garden shed may look unobtrusive, but it houses tools worth a good amount of money, from lawnmowers to strimmers. Add in that set of patio furniture, a couple of solar lights, a barbeque, or even a hot tub, and suddenly, your backyard becomes a honeypot for accidents or opportunistic thieves.

Let’s talk about the garden itself, with its pretty path set, swathes of newly laid turf, and a freshly painted fence. Also, add ornaments and garden furniture to that list to tie the whole picture together. Just one bad storm or an instance of criminality can turn that picture of serenity into a headache of unexpected expenses.

Does Your Policy Cover It?

Many assume their home insurance policy will protect everything inside and outside the house. The truth is that the existing insurance coverage might be limited.

Outbuilding and garden content cover, in many cases, needs to be bespoke or simply higher than you realise, and has to be done separately.

The process of selecting home insurance should also involve checking the details of what it covers to be sure everything in your backyard will be safe or replaceable if damaged or stolen.

A Quick Garden Audit

The easiest way to start this process is with a quick garden audit. Take a walk around your back garden and snap anything that looks valuable: sheds, tools, ornaments, fences, and even the birdbath. Once you have that list, go back to your policy documents. How many (if any) of these are included in your existing cover? Is there any limit to what you can claim?

Let’s not forget public liabilities — like, say, that fence blowing over and damaging your neighbour’s roof is not just annoying but expensive too. You need to be covered for that as well.

When in Doubt, Cover It

Your garden is about much more than biding the time until your retirement. It’s a living part of your home. With the right protection in place, you can tend to your rows, knowing your garden is protected, come what may.