Insurance News Watch Out For Green Fingered Garden Thieves Warns Saga Home Insurance

Written by Editorial Team

26 March 2009 / by Rachel Mason

With the clocks going forward this weekend, home owners are likely to spend more time in the garden, and Saga is reminding people to protect outdoor equipment from thieves.

Gardening is the most popular past time for the over 50s, and with the clocks going forward on Sunday, many will be making the most of the extra hour of daylight.

But, says Saga Home Insurance, garden enthusiasts need to be careful; its research has revealed that March is one of the most popular months for garden thievery, which leads to an increase in home insurance claims.

Saga’s research has revealed that the average cost of replacing items stolen from gardens is £378, which is nearly as much as the average cost of flood and storm damage.

In response, Saga home insurance is urging people to make sure they have home insurance that covers their gardens.

“Saga Home Insurance offers a Garden cover add-on for customers for just an extra £30, to cover plants, shrubs, vegetables, turf and lawns, rockeries, tools, equipment and furniture. The policy will also cover damage caused by theft, damage by smoke, fire, vandals and wild animals,” said Saga Home Insurance.

Halifax home insurance is issuing a similar message – its research has found that garden theft increased by 63 per cent during the summer months last year, with the cost of replacing stolen items increasing by 12 per cent to more than £400.

Senior claims manager for Halifax Home Insurance, Martyn Foulds says it is all too easy to forget about how much items outside the home are worth.

“The collective cost of patio furniture, barbecues and children’s play equipment can soon add up,” he said, “We’d advise people to check that their home insurance policy protects against theft from the garden and we’d also recommend making life as difficult as possible for the opportunist garden thief.”

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