You have turned your garden into a real paradise. But then disaster strikes. The thieves’ guild has been out and a number of things have been stolen from the garden. Or the shed has been broken into and your valuable electric bicycles have been stolen. You may have home contents insurance, but are the items in your garden also insured?
Policy conditions
In general, the answer to the above question will be ‘yes’. But that doesn’t say everything. In principle, each insurance company determines which policy conditions it imposes. It may therefore be that one home contents insurance policy covers more than another. Therefore, carefully check the websites of different insurers to see exactly what is covered.
Sometimes items in your garden may only be insured subject to conditions. Consider items that should normally be in a garden and that are specifically described in the policy conditions, such as garden furniture and the barbecue. There is also often a reservation for electric bicycles. For example, some insurers want you to always keep it in a closed shed and lock it properly.
Damage to the structure
Damage to your shed or garden shed due to burglary or fire is another story. Such damage is not covered by the contents and liability insurance, but is covered by the building insurance. After all, these are things that are ‘stuck’ and cannot simply be moved. Just as home insurance covers damage to your home itself, it also covers damage to your shed or garden shed. Again, a caveat: they must be at the same address (but that makes sense!). Even the charging station in your garden and the solar panels on the roof of your garden shed are insured through your home insurance.
Point of attention
It is wise to read the policy conditions carefully if you take out home insurance. Especially when you have made something beautiful of your garden, it is important to know what is and is not covered. In general, home insurance pays out in the event of both fire and storm, but then we are talking about damage to the home. In the event of damage to the garden, this may be arranged differently. In addition, the policy conditions of the different providers may also differ from each other.
Image: Unsplash, Matthew
