Summer home insurance warning for garden owners

Posted : 05-07-2005

With barbeques and garden parties popular throughout the summer months, Britons have been urged to ensure their home insurance protects their garden's possessions.

Summer parties and barbeques have already caused £423 million worth of garden damage this year, according to a new study from Direct Line Home Insurance.

This figure is already higher than for the average cost of garden damage over the last three years, which stands at £374 million.

The research also found that the most common accidental damage, which occurs in gardens, is lawn damage (64 per cent), trampled borders (46 per cent) and broken furniture and windows (37 per cent).

Andrew Lowe, head of home insurance at Direct Line, believes the common occurrence of garden damage highlights the need for Britons to ensure their home insurance adequately covers their garden contents.

Mr Lowe said: "2005 may well become the hottest summer on record, and if this is the case, anyone lucky enough to have a garden will most likely be spending a good deal of time in it.

"The obvious ‘knock-on effect’ of us enjoying more time in our gardens will be to spend more money on them, which is why Direct Line is encouraging homeowners not to overlook their gardens when evaluating their home contents for insurance purposes."

Recent research found homeowners to be at risk of garden theft, not just accidental damage, with 3.4 million people thought to be victims of garden theft.


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