Don’t bank on being covered in the garden

Nationwide Building Society is urging homeowners to make sure they are protected against garden thieves this Bank Holiday weekend by ensuring they have adequate cover for loss of garden contents under their home insurance plan, as not all policies provide garden cover as standard.

With the arrival of warmer weather and longer evenings, many people will spend time in the garden – starting this Bank Holiday weekend. As a result, items such as lawnmowers and garden furniture will be dusted off and brought outside for the duration of the summer months, providing easy pickings for opportunistic thieves and vandals. However, by taking action now, householders can ensure sure they will not be led up the garden path when it comes to making a claim on their home insurance.

Claims for garden furniture and ornaments are among the most common received by Nationwide which, unlike other providers, offers up to £1,000 worth of cover as standard for loss of, or damage to, contents in the garden.

The top 10 claims received by Nationwide for items damaged or stolen from gardens are:

1. Garden furniture
2. Bicycles
3. Garden ornaments
4. Statues
5. Children’s toys
6. Garden machinery
7. Clothes from the washing line
8. Flowerpots
9. Water features
10. Trampolines

Nationwide’s insurance director, Robin Bailey, said: “At this time of year people spend a lot of money buying expensive garden furniture, equipment and potted plants, but they often fail to think about the inherent risk that comes with leaving these out in the open. As we move further into Spring we begin to see an increase in the number of home insurance claims we receive for items being stolen from gardens or vandalised, with garden furniture being the most popular item claimed for. Unfortunately we cannot secure our gardens as easily as our homes but, by finding a provider which offers garden cover as standard, people can help protect themselves should they ever need to make a claim.

“At Nationwide, we understand that customers want more from their insurance provider, which is why our home insurance includes up to £1,000 of cover for garden contents as standard.”