Garden Owners leaving themselves open to risk

The majority of garden-owners are leaving themselves open to risk, it has been suggested. According to RIAS, increasing numbers of Britons are spending money on their green space due to the rising popularity of makeover programmes and the concept of having an "outdoor room". Currently, it was revealed that budding Charlie Dimmocks and Alan Titchmarshes are splashing more than four billion pounds every year on plants, tools and other gardening paraphernalia.
One way consumers may find they are able to finance copying something that they have seen on the likes of Gardeners' World may be to take out a homeowner loan.
However, the insurance firm went on to indicate that many of these people are not taking steps to insure their property and possessions, so leaving themselves open to financial risk if they become the threat of crime. Pointing to research carried out by the Horticultural Trades Association and numerous other gardening organisations, in addition to the police, RIAS suggested that more than one million garden thefts take place each year. Furthermore, it was reported that "whatever its extent or scale, garden crime is on the rise and causes significant distress and financial loss."
Due to a lack of adequate cover, those wishing to repair their garden and replace stolen items may find that they are required to dip into their own pockets and purses to meet such expenses. This may put pressure on their ability to meet other types of financial demand such as credit card and loan bills, mortgage costs and council tax repayments.
Janet Connor, managing director for RIAS, said: "Sadly we are all now sitting targets for garden theft, yet people are not taking anywhere near enough precautions. Most home insurance policy holders don't realise that the garden and its contents may not be routinely protected by their existing cover in the event of theft, loss or damage and it's costing victims as much as 400 million pounds per year to replace stolen property. We strongly advise people to check their home insurance policy today and make sure additional provision for garden cover is added if it is not there already."
In an attempt to improve the security of their property, homeowners were also advised to fit security lighting and lay down gravel in their driveway and garden paths to deter prospective intruders. Gardeners were also recommended to use plants, such as holly, blackthorn and blue pine, which often contain thorns and can restrict access. The locking away of tools and equipment, protecting any moveable items from extreme weather conditions and removing garden centre tags from new plants were also put forward as means of reducing threats to green spaces. Furthermore, taking the time to ensure that an adequate home insurance policy is in place was recommended by RIAS.
For those looking to give their garden a spring makeover, a home loan may be of assistance. By taking out this loan, consumers can not only fit in the plants and flowers to make the outdoor space of their dreams, but also take steps to protect it from prospective thieves. In addition, the extra financial assistance that a loan provides could help homeowners to purchase a comprehensive insurance policy.

(Extracted from "content 2go" 27 May 2010)

Gardien Tip: All the advice you need about Garden Crime and how to avoid it can be found at www.garden-security.co.uk