Published at 14:06, Friday, 27 April 2012

With the summer approaching, gardens will soon become much more regularly used for recreational enjoyment by home owners.

However, when you assess the items in your garden or outbuildings it can be quite surprising how much their replacement value adds up to.

Items like garden tables and chairs, gas barbecues and patio heaters are costly and can be relatively easily targeted by thieves, so it’s important to have an appropriate amount of cover for them on your domestic insurance policy to avoid them being under-insured in the event of theft. While most policies make provisions for such items, the levels of cover often vary considerably.

It’s also advisable to check the policy details to clarify whether there’s any single item limit. If the policy doesn’t state one, you should notify your insurer of any costly items and ask whether they are included within the policy.

Additionally, if you have items such as bicycles or gymnasium equipment stored in sheds, out-houses or other external storage areas, these will also require cover. It’s essential to keep these as secure as possible to prevent cover for them from being invalidated.

By taking the following measures you will help to keep your external items safe and adequately insured.

Insurers are specific about what’s included and excluded within domestic insurance contents and outbuildings cover, so read the small print in the policy.

Retain receipts for any valuable items purchased for the garden in case of future claims. Bear in mind that you may need to declare any single expensive item such as a lawn mower which may exceed the single item limit provided by your insurance policy.

Inform your insurer if you have any particularly expensive or unusual external items such as a hot tub or statues etc as these are unlikely to be covered automatically and may need to be insured separately.

Make sure that you are aware of any exclusion clauses in your insurance cover as some policies will not cover you for loss or damage if your home is unoccupied.

Install external security lighting to deter thieves.

Prevent potential thieves from gaining easy access to your garden by ensuring that fences are in a good state of repair and garden doors and gates are kept locked and bolted overnight or when you aren’t at home.

Make sure that your shed is fitted with a strong padlock. Never leave valuable items such as lawn mowers, barbecues, garden tools or bicycles in your garden. Always lock them away over night as they may not be covered by your insurance policy if they aren’t properly secured.

Make sure that any damage to external walls, fences or gates is covered under your insurance policy as not all insurers provide this as standard cover.

Visit www.cumberland.co.uk for more information.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk