A guide to insuring your garden shed

As consumers continue to spend more on their gardens and outbuildings, thefts of garden items are on the rise. From expensive patio furniture to garden tools and gadgets, your garden items can be as attractive to thieves as your home items can be. So here we take a look at your options for insuring you garden shed and other garden items as well as ways to make your garden more secure.

When we think of insuring our homes, we often neglect to think of our gardens and outbuildings. However, many insurance policies now come with some level of garden insurance as standard. Take a look at your existing policy to see exactly what is covered and if you feel you need more cover, talk to your insurer about amending your policy.

If your insurer does not provide shed and garden cover, then another option is to take out separate shed or outbuilding cover. These policies are available from a variety of insurers who specialise in insuring garden sheds, garages, and expensive garden furniture, barbeques and garden tools.

Your existing policy may just cover certain garden items, usually your shed and its contents. If you have spent a lot of money on your garden, from expensive plants and trees, to landscaping and water features, then you may want to insure these against theft and damage too.

You may be able to bring down the cost of insuring your garden and outbuildings by improving your security measures. Making sure that a strong lock is fitted to your shed and garden gate, and installing security lighting may mean that you are eligible for an insurance discount. You should always talk to your insurer about which discounts they offer before spending any extra cash on security features that may not be eligible.

When looking for a policy to insure your outbuildings, whether it be your shed, garage or greenhouse, bear in mind that some policies may only cover the shed or building structure itself. You may have to increase your insurance to cover your shed contents, but this may well be worth it, especially if you use your shed to store expensive DIY and garden tools, your barbeque, bikes, or anything of value.

The internet provides the easiest way to search for insurance options. For the broadest range of quotes you should compare specialist shed insurers as well as mainstream insurers like Legal & General, whose home insurance policies include a basic level of garden cover.