It seems that many if us plan to stay closer to home this summer working on garden projects. According to a recent survey of 3,000 adults in the UK by Gocompare.com, the online insurance comparison service, 74% of Brits will be undertaking some kind of garden project.
More than 12% of survey respondents said they plan to completely redesign their garden and 5% said that they were spending their hard-earned cash on a garden project this year instead of going away. Though the survey didn’t ask why holidays are being shunned, it’s likely the latest round of BA strikes and the volcanic-ash cloud that’s still hanging around will have added to people’s uncertainties.
As you’d expect, Gocompare.com’s survey questions were biased towards insurance, particularly theft from their gardens: 25% said they have had items stolen from their gardens or damaged by intruders and the same percentage expressed their concern over garden security.
The most common items stolen were bikes (29%), garden sculptures and ornaments (16%) and garden furniture (13%). Lower down the ‘nicked’ scale were hot tubs, trampolines and patio heaters. Hot-tub theft? I’m not sure what the logistics would be here: do they drain the water first? How many thieves does it take to lift a hot tub?
Undoubtedly, securing some of these items in garden sheds or garden storage with good locks would’ve reduced the risk of theft. According to Gocompare.com, garden fencing and security lighting would also be a good deterrent: thieves prefer easy access and escape without being seen. About 17% of people plan to either install or replace fencing and gates to improve garden security.
Interestingly, the survey shows that the UK’s safest gardens are in Worcester! There, only 5% have had items stolen or damaged. The least-safe garden award goes to the Wrexham area where 50% of respondents have been targeted by thieves and vandals. I wonder if house prices will move in both towns on the back of that news. To be fair to Wrexham, the survey doesn’t say how many people from each area responded to the survey so the data may well be skewed in favour of Worcester (I feel an estate-agent conspiracy theory coming on!).
Want to know more about shed security? Take a look at our blog post on shed security tips.