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Reviewed by William Cooper
If you’ve invested time and money into your garden, it makes sense to ensure that it’s properly protected. A well-loved outdoor space can be a valuable asset, especially when it features high-end touches such as designer furniture, ornate sculptures, state-of-the-art outdoor kitchens, or professional landscaping. And with so many premium features, the value can quickly add up.
But outdoor items are at risk from more than just the elements. Just like any valuable on view, they’re a potential target for thieves.
Fortunately, as specialists in high-value home insurance, Stanhope knows a thing or two about how to protect a high-value garden. If you have a high-value garden, we can help tailor policies so that, if the worst should happen, you’re properly protected.
What is garden insurance?
Garden insurance is a section of cover that’s typically included in your home insurance. It provides financial protection for your garden in the event of damage or theft, with cover type varying depending on your home insurance policy.
What does garden insurance cover?
Permanent structures, such as greenhouses, sheds, decking and patios, are usually included under buildings insurance. However, garden contents, such as outdoor furniture, tools, barbecues and ornaments, may not be fully covered unless you have specific garden contents cover.
Fences are generally excluded from contents insurance and are often not covered for storm damage under buildings insurance either. So, are garden fences covered by house insurance? The answer is not always. It’s important to check the policy details, as cover for fencing tends to be limited or excluded altogether.
While plants, shrubs and trees may be included under garden contents insurance, the level of protection is usually limited. Generous garden coverage through high-value home cover can provide broader protection, especially for expensive, rare or professionally landscaped gardens.
One high-net worth insurance provider puts it this way: “We will pay up to 10% of the buildings sum insured at your home for loss or damage to trees, shrubs, plants and lawns. The most we will pay for any one tree, shrub or plant is £2,500”. If the rebuild value on your home is £2mil, then you’ll benefit from up to £200,000 cover for your garden with up to £2,500 for any one tree, shrub or plant.
What counts as a high-value garden?
A high-value garden is much more than a neatly trimmed lawn and some pretty potted plants. It also includes items with significant financial value – for example:
- Rare plants
- Outdoor art
- Garden furniture
- Built-in barbecues or outdoor kitchens
- Water features
- Lighting installations
- Bespoke landscaping
- Summerhouse or garden room
- Garden kitchen
What does garden insurance typically cover?
What garden insurance covers varies between providers, but most policies tend to include the following:
- Garden contents (outdoor furniture, barbecues, tools, lawn mowers and decorative items)
- Theft
- Fire and flood damage
- Storm damage
- Garden equipment
- Hot tubs
- Garden electronics
- Valuable plants and pots
- Accidental damage
- Vandalism
We always recommend consulting your policy wording to more fully understand your cover, as what’s included can vary significantly between policies.
Environmental damage caused by storms, frost, pets or drought is not always included in garden insurance policies, especially when it comes to trees, plants and fences. If you have rare plants or expensive features in your garden, check your policy carefully or consider specialist high-value home insurance to ensure that you’ve got the right cover.
We particularly encourage people with oil tanks to get insured, since escape of oil that causes environmental damage will usually be covered within a Stanhope high value home insurance policy.
How to insure your high-value garden
If your garden has high-end items, whether it’s rare plants or expensive furniture and decor, you may find that standard home insurance does not provide sufficient protection for your needs.
Here’s how to insure a garden that’s worth a little more than the average patch of grass.
1. Get a professional valuation
2. Gather records of previous expenses
3. Check cover limits
How to keep your garden safe
Unfortunately, any insurance policy cannot prevent theft or damage from happening. Prevention is key to protecting your garden. Here are some tips to help reduce the risk:
- Keep all garden gates and outbuildings locked
- Install CCTV
- Add motion sensor lighting
- Lock up valuables overnight
- Check fencing regularly for any gaps or weak spots
- Cover or store garden furniture overnight or during colder months
- Plant thorny shrubs under windows and near fences as a deterrent
- Invest in a good drainage systems
These simple steps can make a huge difference when it comes to protecting your beloved garden. Most insurance providers will expect you to have basic security measures in place, and having good garden security may help lower your premiums.
Garden Insurance FAQs
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Does the garden section in my high-value home insurance cover items or contents left in the garden?
Whilst the answer is often no for standard home insurance policies, the answer is yes for a Stanhope high-value home insurance policy. Our policies usually include outdoor items as part of the general contents sum insurance. This means it’s important to get the total cover needed for general contents accurate, insuring it includes outdoor items.
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What isn’t included in garden insurance?
Understanding what is or is not covered with regard to contamination and pollution within the policy wording can be tricky to understand, which is why we encourage you to go through the coverage with a skilled broker. Usually, you will be covered so long as it can be proven that the damages have been incurred as a result of a sudden, identifiable, unintended and unexpected event that took place in its entirety at a specific time and place.
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What happens if I redesign my garden?
If you decide to redesign your garden, you should notify your insurer of any changes that may affect its value, including any increases to the total cover needed for the buildings or contents section of your policy. For example, if you’re planning to add a structure like a summerhouse, this may fall under a different type of insurance altogether.
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Will an insurer consider any environment upgrades following a claim?
Absolutely. A high-value home insurance policy will look to offer an environment upgrade following certain damage to your home.
Start protecting your garden properly today
Your garden deserves just as much protection as the rest of your home. After all, it’s more than just an outdoor space – it’s the result of your time, money and effort. Whether it has been professionally landscaped, filled with valuable features, or simply become your pride and joy, it should be properly insured.
At Stanhope, we offer tailored high-value home insurance that extends beyond your walls to include gardens and even collectables. If you’re reviewing your current policy or insuring a newly transformed garden, we’re here to help. Contact Stanhope today to find out more and get a quote.
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