Get your garden accessories insured in time for winter!

Grace Sweeney

A recent survey by Aviva insurance Ireland DAC shows that Ireland’s homeowners have on average €1,273 worth of garden accessories.

The Irish survey found that homeowners with children typically have €1,451 worth of garden accessories while homeowners without children have an average of €1,273 worth.

15% of homeowners own garden accessories worth between €3,000 and €5,000 with just 7% owning a hefty €5,000 plus worth of outdoor items.

Home product manager at Aviva, Alan Darcy wants people to know that their homes and cars are not the only things that need to be insured.

He said: “These items can really add up in value and our experience would suggest that most people don’t ever consider whether they are insured. Some people just assume they are covered under their home insurance policy, and others simply never give it a second thought.”

Mr Darcy explained just how important it is to insure your outdoor items, especially coming into the winter months and with the increase in theft.

He said: “If you’ve spent any amount of money on your garden accessories, then it would be advisable to check if you are covered under your home insurance policy.

The expert added: “Not all policies will automatically provide cover for items like garden furniture which are designed to be kept in the garden on a permanent basis – or where they do so, they may impose a maximum limit on the value they are covered for.

“According to the Central Statistics Office’s (CSOs) latest figures, there was a 36% increase in theft and related offences over the last year. In addition, Ireland has had its fair share of storms and floods in recent times that can do damage to items in the garden. Homeowners cannot afford to be complacent,” he added.

The survey showed that men spend the most money on garden accessories, with 10% having spent €5,000 while only 4% of women spent the same amount.

It was also revealed that 52% of men have bought a barbecue while only 38% of women bought one.

The most common garden item according to the Avivas survey was garden furniture, with 73% of people having it in their outdoor spaces.

This was followed by garden sheds at 70% and planters and potted plants at 66%.

Some more findings from the survey were that 20% of homeowners have ornaments, statues, and sculptures in their garden.

Perhaps suprisingly, a water feature was recorded in 11% of the survey participants homes and a fire pit was recorded in 14% of homes.