With days getting longer, many people are spending time in their gardens for the first time this year.

However, price comparison website Go Compare has warned homeowners not to presume garden contents are included in their home insurance.

Surveying more than 670 policies, the firm found many limits to the level of cover.

Around 8% of policies don’t cover any items left outside in the garden while policies have wildly different maximum limits. Some are as little as £250 while others insure up to £15,000.

Items outside can include patio furniture, lawnmowers, barbeques and garden ornaments.

In total 11% of policies do not include any cover for bikes left in the garden.

Ben Wilson, from Go Compare home insurance, said homeowners needed to check their policies to see exactly what was ensured.

“Many people see their gardens as an extension of their living space, investing a lot of time and money in their ‘outdoor rooms’,” he said.

“When you start adding up the cost of garden furniture, BBQs, potted plants, and outdoor toys – even the average garden can house several hundred pounds worth of items. But, many people don’t think about the value and security of their garden contents in the same way as they do about their homes. For many the only protection they have from opportunist thieves is a bolted garden gate.

“So, we’re urging householder to dig out their home insurance details to check what cover they have for their gardens. While many home buildings and contents insurance policies include a degree of cover, the amount and level of cover varies hugely between policies.”