Garages Could Be Open Invitation For Crooks

Many of us remember when a garage was used to store a car and maybe a few of Dad’s tools and DIY gear. Nowadays, however, with the increasing size of cars and the decreasing size in garages the vast majority of us now put our cars on the drive and use the garage as effectively a big cupboard.

Unfortunately, this could be costing us thousands in home insurance claims as garages are generally not as secure as our homes and criminals see them as an easy target. Using a poorly secured garage as storage space for excess household goods could prove to be a costly mistake says home insurance companies.

One third of all garages in the UK store over £1,000 of items, says a home insurance survey - and a fifth of garages in the UK remain unlocked. Some things such as freezers and tumble driers are not necessarily what burglars are looking for, but things like old TVs, computing equipment, CDs, games, even games consoles are often stored in our garages and are easy pickings for light fingers.

And almost half of all people with garages say that they use it to store goods worth at least £500. One in seven told home insurance researchers that the contents of their garage was at least £3,000.

In addition, many garages now have interconnecting doors into our homes which often remain unlocked. This can be an open invitation to criminals who gain access to our garages.

"It is well worth checking to see if your insurance cover has any limits on theft from outbuildings," said a home insurance spokesman.

"Anyone using their garage as extra storage space should consider the value of its contents - opportunistic thieves could find a wealth of goods just waiting for them."

It is important to check that your home insurance policy covers everything stored in your garage and also sheds and summer houses or other buildings on your property.

If you would like to know more about home insurance why not ask AnswerBank Insurance.