Stay-put Brits Plan a £6.8 Billion* Garden Spending Spree This Summer

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But 1 in 4 are worried about their garden security

• 74% of households are planning a garden project this year
• Each will spend an average of £420.00 on their garden
• 24% are concerned about the security of items left outside
• Wrexham tops league for garden thefts, Worcester has safest gardens

Newport, Gwent, May 19, 2010 (PressReleasePoint) -- On the eve of the Chelsea Flower Show, new research from comparison site Gocompare.com reveals that 74% of Brits will be undertaking some kind of garden project this year, spending a collective £6.8 billion on everything from patios to pergolas.

More than 12% of respondents plan to completely redesign their garden this year while millions more are investing in their homes rather than moving or going on holiday. One in eight Brits are hoping that money spent on the garden will add value to their homes whilst 5% said that they were spending money on their garden project this year instead of going away.

However, millions of Brits are worried about garden security with 24% of respondents saying they were concerned for the safety of items regularly left in their garden. Over 7% of garden projects were aimed specifically at improving security while 17% of people plan to either install or replace fencing and gates.

A quarter of Brits said that they have had items stolen from their gardens or damaged by intruders. According to the survey, the UK’s safest gardens are in Worcester where just 5% of respondents have had items stolen or damaged. However, 50% of respondents from the Wrexham area have been targeted by thieves and vandals making Wrexham’s gardens the most attacked in the UK.

The majority of respondents (52%) whose gardens had been targeted said that the value of the items stolen was over £100 but there were significant regional differences. The average value of items stolen from gardens in the Gloucester area amounted to £980.50 whilst in Worcester and Aberystwyth the average value was just £50. The average value of items taken from gardens across the UK was £380.00.

Among the most common items taken from The UK’s gardens and outside spaces were bikes (29%), garden sculptures and ornaments (16%) and garden furniture (13%). However, the survey revealed that Brits had also had items such as hot tubs, trampolines and patio heaters stolen from their gardens.

John Miles, head of home and pet insurance at Gocompare.com, said: “For many people the Chelsea Flower Show signals that it’s time to get out in the garden. Our research shows that green fingered Brits are set to spend a collective fortune on garden projects this year but one in four people have had items stolen from their garden or damaged by intruders. Whilst fences and security lighting can be a good deterrent we would urge homeowners to check that their new purchases and garden investments are protected with adequate home insurance cover, just in case.”

For further information please contact: Lynsey Walden or Anders Nilsson at Gocompare.com on 01633 654 055 / 01633 657 599 Gordon, Jason or Liz at MAW Communications on 01603 505 845.

Notes to Editors:
Research commissioned by Gocompare.com - carried out with 3000 UK adults in May 2010 by OnePoll Research.

22.06m UK households with gardens and outside spaces - ONS statistics for 2008 indicate that there are 26.91m UK households. ONS also indicate that 18% of English households are flats and maisonettes. We have used this percentage across the UK and assumed therefore that 18% of the 26.91m UK households do not have gardens or outside spaces. 26.91m x 82% = 22.06m

*22.06m households x 74% planning to spend money on their garden = 16.32m households. 16.32m x £420.49 average spend per household = £6,864,246,900

Gocompare.com launched in November 2006. It was founded by Hayley Parsons, who has worked her entire career in the insurance broking and aggregator markets, and was the first comparison sites to focus on displaying product features rather than just listing prices. It was this philosophy that led to Gocompare.com becoming the first price comparison site to be invited to join the British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba) in May 2008 and helped force older comparison sites to change their ‘quick quote’ ways and stop using assumptions to calculate estimated figures.

Today, Gocompare.com provides one of the most comprehensive online car insurance comparison services in the UK as well as comparing home, motorbike, van, pet insurance and breakdown cover. Gocompare.com is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
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