Is your home insurance covering your garden?

While Britons spend an estimated £15 billion on their gardens, more than four out of five people (83 per cent) have no idea how much they are insured for under home contents cover.

This is despite more than 3.4 million people across the UK having had something stolen from their garden, Post Office Home Insurance has revealed.

The outdoor items most at risk of being stolen are garden ornaments, with one person in four having had one or more stolen at some point. Additionally 3.1 million people said they had had their shed stolen.

"These days gardens are worth a considerable amount. Expensive garden ornaments, water features and garden furniture all add to the value of a garden, so it's important that people check that they have adequate cover," said Mike Smith, head of home insurance at the Post Office.

"If 83 per cent of people in the country say they have no idea about the amount of cover that is offered by their current insurer, then it's likely that they will be underinsured. The potential here is that if they have items stolen from their garden, their current insurer may not pay out as the insurance cover does not cover the total value of the contents," he added.

Two garden owners in five said that they thought the contents of their garden were worth more than £400, with one in five of these estimating their garden contents to be nearer £1,000 in value. But only 17 per cent of those questioned in the Post Office survey actually knew how much cover was offered by their insurer.

Post Office home insurance has advised people to check the amount of garden cover offered by their insurer to avoid missing out.