Gardens have never been more popular. This has possibly been driven by the increase in TV programmes on the subject and other media coverage which provides us with lots of useful information as well as inspiring us with ideas. This has resulted in our insatiable appetite for spending our leisure time in the garden for things like barbecues and other social gatherings along with an increasing emphasis on how we can give our properties added value by redesigning our garden space and adding extra features.
As a consequence of that, the value of the tools and of all the other equipment, furniture and ornamentation which we keep in our garden has risen dramatically which has made gardens a very attractive target for thieves. Here are some suggestions for ways of keeping your gardening gear safe but the first thing you should be doing is ensuring that your home contents insurance covers all of the equipment which is kept outside of the house and that it is sufficient to cover the total value of these garden items.
Sheds and Garages
At one time, you would be able to keep all of your garden valuables in a small shed but such are the array of tools and other gardening gadgets on offer these days that sheds have got bigger and, for those of us with garages, the space is now being utilised more for the rest of our garden equipment which will no longer fit in our shed so you need to put yourself in the mindset of a potential burglar and determine how easy you’d think it would be to break into them. Fit approved locks to all windows and even stronger padlocks to all doors and make sure they’re used. So many people have secure locks fitted but either forget or neglect to use them.
Fences, Gates, Bushes and Security Lighting Systems
These are all discussed in more detail in other articles contained on this website but they are all additional barriers for a burglar to negotiate before they can even get near to your shed or garage so make sure you have these things in place to deter thieves in the first place and refer to the other articles to find out more.
Marking Your Equipment
Thieves prefer items which they can get rid of quickly and because gardening and hobbies related to the garden have become increasingly popular, they are attracted to gardening tools, in particular, because they’re very easy to sell on. Therefore, mark each piece of equipment with an invisible pen containing your postcode and also leave a sticker or sign in your window stating that all items within your property are marked as most potential buyers will check that out and so a thief is more likely to move on to another target where security might not be so much of an issue.
When You’ve Run Out Of Storage Space
If you find you’ve used up all of the available storage space in your shed and garage, it’s a good idea to fix items to an immovable object or, if it’s some type of equipment which can be operated without moving it, maybe you could set the base in concrete.
Garden Statues and Ornaments
As well as marking them with an invisible pen, it’s a good idea to take photographs of these kinds of items as they’ll be more easily able to be identified and reclaimed should the police become involved.
Take Care With Ladders
Ladders may not be that valuable in themselves but they should never be left outside and if they’re stored in a shed or garage, make sure they’re secured to something you can wrap a sturdy chain and padlock around as easy access to a ladder could mean that you’re also providing easier access to your house itself.
Tell Your Neighbours
It’s important that you don’t get over-obsessed about preventing your garden gear being stolen. By following the advice above and taking other advice from other articles contained in this section, it should be more than enough to put off a potential thief who would much sooner prefer to find an easier target to hit. However, if you’re going away on holiday or on business and leaving your property empty, it’s a good idea to let your closest neighbour know when you’re going and when you’ll be back so that they can keep an eye on things for you.
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