As the clocks go forward bringing more hours of sunshine, green-fingered homeowners are keen to dig out summer valuables including tools, bicycles, play equipment and patio furniture. But before they do, Lloyds Bank Insurance is urging them to consider securing their borders against the common garden thief.
Homeowners in Northern Ireland spend on average £710 on gardening equipment, maintenance and upkeep.
Meanwhile unforced burglary claims in the UK cost an average of £1,120 last year. Last summer, Lloyds Bank Insurance recorded a 14 per cent increase in unforced burglary claims when compared to the winter months. These claims tended to rise along with the mercury, reaching their peak in July.
The Lloyds Bank Insurance Britain at Home Report showed UK homeowners spend an average of £318 on items for the garden every year, with parents of under 18s spending even more, averaging £380 a year.
The report suggests this higher spend among parents may be a bid to tempt kids outdoors and away from computer screens, as more than a third (37 per cent) said their children do not spend enough time outdoors.
With one in five (20 per cent) of parents investing in Wendy houses, a quarter (26 per cent) purchasing swings and slides and almost a third installing trampolines, it seems they want to create mini-playgrounds to encourage children to go outside. Despite the significant investment in outdoor space, 41 per cent haven’t got secure locks on garden gates, 22 per cent said items left outside are not insured, and a further 16 per cent don’t know whether outdoor items are insured or not.
Tim Downes, senior claims manager at Lloyds Bank Insurance, said: “We know that burglars will often follow the path of least resistance, so it’s a good idea for homeowners to ramp up security outside the home at this time of year to avoid becoming an easy target. Taking some cost effective simple steps and having adequate insurance which includes garden cover can help you avoid stumping up for stolen items should the worst happen.”
Tips for keeping your garden safe this spring and summer:
- Lock up: Always ensure garden sheds, gates, garages and outbuildings remain bolted with a secure lock and make sure there are no gaps in fences or bushes for opportunistic thieves to slip through
- Please weight: Put bricks or stones in the bottom of patio tubs to make them more difficult for would-be thieves to carry off
- Tag it: Mark valuable items, such as patio furniture and ornaments, with your postcode, and keep photos of your garden valuables in case anything is stolen or vandalised
- Border control: If you can’t block access to you garden by locking a gate, high walls, spiky fences and prickly bushes can make it more difficult to access the garden
- Long distance gravel: Filling your driveways or front paths with pebbles or gravel can help you to hear someone approaching your property
- Hide and don’t seek: Avoid leaving tools, lawnmowers and bicycles in plain view in the garden – always lock them away out of sight. Remember tools and ladders can be used to break in too
- Join forces: Look into joining your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme in order to help protect you and your neighbours’ properties
