What’s in your Shed?

The particular functions of a garden shed may vary vastly from one household to another. Traditionally, and still commonly in today’s society, the garden shed is the domain of the man of the house – a refuge of his own, whether it be a place to sit and read the newspaper or simply a storage space for tools, gardening and other D.I.Y. equipment. However, this is by no means the only potential use for a garden shed – here’s a quick look at a few others, considering how the use of your garden shed could affect your home insurance requirements.

Many families have chosen to install a shed, or a ‘Wendy House’, in their gardens in which their children may choose to play or store their garden toys. Depending on whether this kind of shed contains dolls and cushions only or a range of more sophisticated play things, such as tricycles, quad bikes, or anything large or electrical, the value of the contents of your shed may or may not be an important consideration in your home insurance policy.

Some people like to use their garden sheds as a place to escape to. Many famous writers have confessed to creating the bulk of their work in this sacred place of tranquillity. The garden shed can be an ideal space for all kinds of recreational activities, from painting to sculpting to simply relaxing with an absorbing novel. For those people who have really dedicated themselves to turning their garden shed into what is, essentially, another room detached from their house the value of it may have increased the value of your property considerably. If there is electricity or heating in there, for example, these are networks you will no doubt want to protect.

Some home insurance companies do offer garden contents cover as standard, such as Kwik Fit Insurance, for example, but only up to a specified amount. It’s worth checking out any website to gage a detailed low-down of their policies before you think about buying. There are variables from policy to policy which are worth nothing. As a start, check Kwik Fit Insurance’s website for the specifics of their house insurance, to get a valuable idea of the kind of thing you’ll be purchasing and what you might be getting covered for.  

A recent survey produced statistics that show that the average value of garden contents is around £300 per household, so if you think that the contents of your garden, and your shed, may exceed this figure perhaps you should consider conducting some research into how to protect it through your insurance policy.