Brits spend £28.5 billion on their gardens in summer splurge

If you have, you're not alone - nearly a third of Brits have splurged on their gardens as a result of lockdown.

As we look toward spending more time in our gardens than ever before, it's no surprise that people have spent their hard earned cash kitting out their homes.

The average price of garden possessions in the UK is now valued at a whopping £1,262 per home - equivalent to £28.5 billion nationally -  according to new research released today by MoneySuperMarket. 

READ MORE: Welcome to Dorset's lovely lockdown gardens

READ MORE: Dorset's Gold Hill one of UK's most 'Instagrammable' streets

With the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown indicating a loosening of restrictions in the coming months,  56 per-cent of us are preparing to splurge even more on our gardens this summer. 

More than a quarter of us spend money on our gardens as an investment (stock). 

More than a quarter (28 per-cent) of Brits will be doing so because they believe it is a good investment and just over one in five (21 per-cent) will do so as they expect to be entertaining more. 

Most popular garden items bought under lockdown:

1. Plants (84 per-cent)

2. Garden furniture (53 per-cent)

3. Outdoor lighting (44 per-cent)

4. Ornaments (38 per-cent)

5. BBQ (36 per-cent)

6. Garden toys for kids (28 per-cent)

7. Shed (28 per-cent)

8. Parasol (26 per-cent)

9. Patio heaters (25 per-cent)

10. Greenhouse (24 per-cent)

11. Exercise bike (24 per-cent)

12. Astro turf (20 per-cent)

13. Kids climbing frame (19 per-cent)

While lockdown garden spending has increased, nearly a third (32 per-cent) of those that have bought garden furniture in the past 12 months haven’t insured their purchases yet.

It's important to insure your garden possessions (stock).

This number is down from 59 per-cent in 2020 indicating that people are more likely to insure their new garden possessions in 2021. 

Only 11 per-cent of those surveyed have sought to insure their recently purchased items.

This is despite a quarter (25 per-cent) of Brits reporting that they have experienced garden thefts in the past. Of these, one in ten (10 per-cent) reported thefts between £100 to £300, while 5 per-cent reported thefts costing over £300.

The most popular items stolen from gardens include: tools for DIY, bikes, furniture,  BBQs and scooters.

A quarter of those that declared garden thefts in the past said that none of the items taken were insured.

Nearly a third said that all of the items taken were insured and that they claimed on all of them whilst more than one in five said that all the items taken were insured but that they only claimed on some of them.

Camilla Yates, home insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “If the February roadmap stays on course, then there’s a strong chance Brits could be enjoying an almost normal summer this year. 

“But with this boom in garden spending it’s important that you keep your valuables safe. It’s easy to leave items outside overnight, or assume that your shed is secure, but thieves are increasingly targeting back gardens for expensive bikes and tools, so make sure you’re protected.

"Although standard buildings and contents insurance policies usually include a certain amount of cover for garden items, many people could be leaving themselves exposed so it’s important that you check your policy details to ensure that you’re covered.

“It’s also worth checking your existing home insurance policy to see if you could get a cheaper premium elsewhere. If you haven’t switched for a while, this is likely going to be the case. It takes minutes to switch to a competitive policy and you could save up to 46 per-cent on your premiums in doing so.”