An interesting new survey has revealed that millions of UK homeowners are neglecting the security of the garden in their homes.
According to research conducted by online garden furniture retailer Rattan Direct, 27% of Britons do not lock their garden gates or doors to their backyard.
Lack of security
Home security is at the forefront of many homeowners’ checklists, but the research suggests that this does not stretch to their gardens or outdoor space.
A number of people surveyed admitted to not replacing broken padlocks or gates, leading themselves susceptible to theft.
A whopping 80% admitted to leaving some valuable items in their garden. Expensive garden furniture topped the list, followed gardening tools, bicycles and outdoor toys for children.
Just 7% of people questioned said that they keep items from their garden locked away in a shed or in their property overnight.
Many homeowners neglect garden security
Regional variance
The survey also indicated that by region, peoples’ attitude towards their security varied. 23% of Welsh residents said that they had nothing in their garden worth securing.
Alternatively, those in Yorkshire were found to be the most security conscious, with 10% saying that they bring all of their items inside to ensure burglars did not target their outdoor space.
Robert Fernandez, spokesperson for Rattan Direct, said, ‘securing our gardens and backyards should be top of the list of priorities. Every single homeowners or tenant should invest in a padlock to protect those items that are often left outside overnight. Replacing stolen items can be very expensive, even if you feel they hold very little value in the first place.’[1]
[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/household/are-you-keeping-your-garden-secured.html