A large insurance company conducted a recent study and found that the average garden is now worth over $6000. This makes your garden a tempting proposition for thieves, who know that during the warmer months, you’ll have even more furniture and equipment stored outside.
Think about it. Your garden probably contains some kind of heater, a barbeque, toys belonging to your children and different types of ornaments. But, you’re protected if anything goes missing because you’ve bought home insurance, right? Well, maybe. It depends.
It’s worth finding out for sure, just in case you are one of the unfortunate ones that loses some of their garden items this year. This article looks to answer three of the most popular questions asked about home contents insurance and how it affects gardens. Educate yourself now, before a thief educates you instead.
What Does Home Insurance Actually Cover?
As part of your buildings and contents insurance, much of what is inside your house will be covered. You’ll also, usually, receive some type of coverage for your garden, too, though that depends entirely on your policy. Gates and fences usually count as part of your building, while garden items count towards your contents. How much you’re actually covered for though, will vary depending on your insurer.
Are You Covered For the Right Amount?
While deciding on the value of their insurance policy, many forget to include their garden items into the equation. This means, despite having some coverage, it rarely reaches the right level to protect against a misdemeanor. If you find that you’re underinsured, you should be able to arrange extra cover. This will then ensure that should the worst happen, you’re protected.
As far as garden sheds are concerned, you are likely to be covered, but again, check. Most insurers also stipulate that the shed needs to be locked correctly, and guarded in the same way your house is guarded.
Garden Exclusions That are the Most Common
As home and contents insurance is unlikely to cover everything in your garden, you’ll need to be aware of what’s excluded in your plan, just to prevent against disappointment. While this is only a rough guide, it does take most of the common insurance plans into account.
Many insurers don’t pay out on damage to garden contents if they’ve been damaged by a natural disaster, such as flooding. Damage to your plants, trees and hedges usually isn’t covered either, unless you’ve been specifically told otherwise.
If you keep other expensive items in your garden, such as your bicycle or your lawnmower, these will only be protected if they’re locked away. Leave them out in the open and you’re unlikely to be compensated for your loss if a thief decided to take them from you.
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