How to Protect Your Garden Valuables from Thieves
Having a garden is a very natural thing. And apart from the aesthetic advantage it brings, there are myriad other reasons as to why you would want to own one. However, in recent times, the issue of theft has been making a huge dent in the reasons to have a garden of your own but you can purchase garden insurance.
Everything, from hanging baskets, garden plants, machinery, and even pots, have been reported stolen. According to surveys, some 2000 people across the UK have reported having items stolen from their gardens. And data from Co-op goes on to show that an average of €251 in claims has been filed.
Typically, it is advisable to always have home insurance for safety and financial cover in case of eventualities like this. An insurance cover like this comes with so many advantages that help if you do happen to have your home burgled amongst other things. For example, in the event of a burglary or even a natural disaster or fire outbreak, in as much as the incidents are covered by your insurance policy, you will not only have your building protected, you can also get a replacement for your loss. Alongside these, getting home insurance is not only cheap but will also protect you from lawsuits and also put your mind at rest. If you aren’t sure which plan is good for your home, visit AA Insurance to find the best home insurance quotes and see what your insurance policy can cover.
Bearing in mind the advantages of insuring your home, you also have to know that continuously filing for claims will directly affect your premium. So, to make sure your premium stays as cheap as possible, you will need to take steps to ensure the safety of your home and garden from invaders.
There are several ways to protect your home and you have to make sure that whichever way you decide to go for, is within the confines of the law. To help you with this, I have cumulated some very effective steps you can take to prevent vagabonds from stealing from your precious garden. Some of these steps include;
- Install Camera Around Your Home
By installing cameras around your home, including areas around your garden shed and entrance, you stand a higher chance of preventing break-ins. In fact, surveys taken by the police show that the installation of security cameras goes a long way in preventing burglary attempts. No criminal will want to have his crimes caught on tape.
Once you have the security cameras installed, you should go a step further by making sure you have signs put up to show that your home is protected and you have cameras around to record any event.
Also, if you do not have a steady power supply, you can make use of a battery to power your security equipment.
- Have Lights Installed All Around
Lighting is very important in the security of a home. By far, lighting remains the easiest and cheapest security solution. In fact, studies have shown that about 24% of convicted thieves would think twice about targeting a house with outdoor lighting.
A very good option will be a security LED light that is activated by motion. A burglar approaching your house will think twice about continuing on his mission the moment a very bright light is suddenly beamed at him. This method has been proven to often deter burglars from going into a house.
- Secure The Paths That Lead To Your Garden
Another way to secure your garden is by making sure you pave the paths leading to your garden sheds. You could use gravel so that there is no way anyone could walk on the paths without making sounds, thereby instantly notifying you.
Studies show that a lot of residential burgling was done on the driveways. To prevent this, you might want to consider adding a security camera to your driveways so that you can always know what is going on at all times.
- Install Garden Gates Or Doors To Both Your Front And Back Yards
A gate also goes a long way in preventing unwanted visitors from getting into your garden. By making sure your gates are always locked, you will be actively preventing people from coming into your home with your permission.
Very often, people with gates think that they can leave it open just because they are going out for a couple of minutes and not longer. Lapses like these are all it takes for an invader to gain entrance and do away with your valuables. Therefore, always make sure that your gates are always locked regardless of any reason.
A very good way to ensure the efficiency of the gates is to install more than a lock. By installing two locks (one at the top and another at the bottom), you can be rest assured that it will take longer for anything to go wrong. Also, make sure the hinges are secure as it is another way invaders might try to gain access.
- Make Use Of Hedges and plants To Protect Your Fence And Gates From Break-Ins
Although this might seem like a weird method of securing your gardens, it is quite effective especially if you are planting low-growing and thorny shrubs. These should be planted at the base of fences to prevent miscreants from being able to scale the fence. These thorny shrubs such as pyrcantha orange glow are also quite useful when planted at the base of windows to prevent break-ins.
One of our favorite plants to increase garden security is rubus cockburnianus, a majestic plant with long arching white silvery stems. It’s the plant worlds version of raiser wire planted against a fence or other boundary once established it’s almost impossible to cross or get through without lots of power tools and loads of time. The stems have thorns that are not particularly large but combined with other stems and thorns just latch onto clothing on an arm or a leg resulting in you having to cut yourself free if you happen to tangle with it.
Securing your gardens and your home as a whole is a lifetime job. Regardless of the different measures you put in place, you have to be regularly alert so as not to slip and leave an opening for thieves to make use of.
But, with both your measures and a good insurance policy, you can be rest assured that your precious greens are secured in your garden.