Average garden contents valued at over £1500

With temperatures soaring, the Met Office forecasting a "barbecue summer" and sales at garden centres up by 20% so far this year, it appears that we are set to spend this summer enjoying time in our gardens. However, this could mean that some garden items, to the value of around £1,500, could be at risk of possible theft. It is surprising how the value of the various items we have in our gardens can add up, and that’s not including the cost of the plants, shrubs and trees which we are also likely to have purchased. Legal & General has calculated that the value could easily be over £1500 and closer to £2000 if children’s toys are also included. A typical household insurance policy will provide cover of up to £1000 for contents that have been left in the garden. Contents stored in an outbuilding such as a shed, are normally covered up to a limit based on the sum insured under the contents policy. Legal & General has developed an online calculator in the form of a 3D virtual home which enables customers to ‘tot up’ the value of their possessions, room by room and it also includes the garden. This service may help customers to place a more accurate valuation on the items that they have in their gardens and to check that they do have adequate level of household insurance cover in place. The calculator is available at legalandgeneral.com/contentscalculator. Garry Skelton, Marketing Director for Legal & General's general insurance business, said: “It is easy to forget the items we have in our gardens or outbuildings and just how their value may really add up. Doing a quick check online, using our calculator, could provide peace of mind that adequate cover is in place. We also recommend that people just remind themselves of some of the common sense steps you can take to ensure your property is secure and so reduce the risk of theft.”

(Reproduced from easier.com 6th July)

GARDIEN TIP: A comprehensive Garden Inventory calculator is available at http://www.garden-security.co.uk/inventory.aspx - it is far too easy to underestimate the real value of items outside the house. Insurance cover for outdoor items is also frequently less than the figure of £1,000 quoted in the article so look closely at your policy wording and particularly check the points at http://www.garden-security.co.uk/garden-insurance.aspx