Gardens and Home Insurance What You Need to Know
Whether you’re green-fingered and you spend your days planting and pruning or if lounging on your garden furniture while the kids play is the highlight of your weekend, if you have an outdoor space to call your own, chances are you’ll know how precious it is.
However, keeping it protected is something many individuals neglect to consider and when you’ve spent thousands on plants and gardening equipment or splashed out on new garden accessories, the last thing you want is to have no financial protection from thieves or be at risk of having to fork out large sums of money to cover what you’ve lost and any damage caused in the process.
Searching for the best home insurance deals for UK homeowners is a good place to start. But do you know what is covered in your home insurance policy? And what’s covered in your garden? In this post, we’ll explore what you need to know about gardens and home insurance.
Is Your Garden Covered
In simple terms, if you have house insurance then yes! Whether you have just buildings or just contents your garden will be included in your policy. Of course, the type of policy you have will determine what is specifically covered by your insurance.
For example, if you have a buildings insurance policy, then certain aspects of your garden will be included, such as your shed or garage, any outbuildings, fences and gates etc. However, if you have just a contents policy in place then you can expect cover for your gardening tools, BBQs, garden furniture etc. And if you have both policies then you can expect cover for your buildings and the contents of your garden.
Of course, as with any policy, it’s important to discuss your specific requirements and situation with your prospective supplier. As there may be some exclusions in some policies that are included in others – if in doubt, you should always check! As the homeowner, you may also be expected to keep your walls in good condition which means maintaining any creeping plants or preventing tree roots from damaging your property.
How To Keep Your Premiums Low
When you have a garden, chances are it’s full of valuable items. And protecting your home with insurance is a good place to start. However, if you want to keep your premiums as low as possible and to prevent your garden from being ransacked or damaged in the process, it’s important to take preventative steps and increase the security of your garden.
Simple approaches such as ensuring your garage, shed or outbuildings are locked and secure is a good place to start. As is locking away valuable items such as BBQs and gardening tools. Remember to install alarms and invest in some good security lighting to help keep your premiums down. As well as covering garden furniture and keeping your back gate locked.
Final Thoughts…
Your garden is an extension of your property and an integral part of your home. So, it makes sense to protect it. If you need home insurance, start by comparing providers and don’t forget to include your garden.