Confused.com: Insure your garden

Monday, 18, May 2009 12:07

Gardening enthusiasts are being urged to protect their garden from thieves by taking out an insurance plan to cover garden tools and furniture.

Comparison website, Confused.com, said the weekend's events at the Chelsea Flower Show will have encouraged green-fingered homeowners to start making the most of their own back yards.

But this also meant bringing out barbecues, patio furniture and tools which can often be quite valuable.

It is advising anyone with these items to purchase comprehensive home insurance which will financially compensate if garden goods are stolen.

Darren Black, head of home insurance at Confused.com, said: "There is no real standard approach to how insurers treat garden cover so they key message for the consumer is to shop around and always read the policy documents before you decide to buy."

He said if you own expensive garden furniture and plants, you should check the policy's small print to ensure it offers the cover you need.

Confused.com also suggested keeping expensive furniture and other items locked away when they were not in use and buying ultraviolet pens to mark possessions, which would help police recover them if they were stolen.