Thursday, June 23, 2011

Protect your shed from garden thieves this summer

If you are one of the many Brits that enjoy putting a lot of time, effort and expense into your garden then you are clearly going to want to protect it.

It is said that the average garden is worth around £1,500 with items such as BBQs, lawnmowers, water features and ornaments making up most of the cost. It is these items that are easy pickings for thieves if left out in the open as they can easily be transported and sold on at car boot sales and the like.

Any keen gardener, will no doubt own a shed to keep all their tools and garden equipment safely locked away, but without the right security your garden shed could become a gold mine for thieves.

In the video below, Felicity Hannah from price comparison site Money Supermarket talks about the how you can protect your garden with a house insurance policy.

Compare home insurance quotes with Money Supermarket


Ten tips to keep your garden safe this summer


Many insurers will include cover for your garden in a home insurance policy, but double check what the limits are in regards to the value of items that will be insured. For items in the garden, cover is available from £250 to £2,000. For items stored in outbuildings such as sheds and greenhouses, limits can start at £2,000 and with some insurers unlimited cover is available.

With this level of cover available for your garden and its equipment it is an ideal safety net however by following the ten steps below, these will reduce the chance of you having to claim in the first place.

• Keep all the valuable items of your garden locked away in your shed.

• Consider installing additional locks at the top and bottom of your garden shed door to prevent leverage underneath the door.

• If your shed has windows, fit heavy wire mesh inside the window.

• Chain larger items such as bikes, lawnmowers and golf clubs together.

• Install security lighting to illuminate your garden when movement is detected.

• Ensure your shed is in a good state of repair and again if possible fitted with an alarm.

• Protect the boundaries of your garden by purposely planting shrubs or hedges that are prickly, thus making a thief’s life a lot more difficult.

• Lay the pathways in your garden with gravel. It will be difficult for anyone walking on this NOT to make a sound.

• Make sure your garden furniture is security coded by marking it with paint, ultraviolet pen or even engraving.

• Don’t leave tools lying about your garden that could be used to break into your shed or garage.
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