GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK
Garden sports are great fun – until that stray ball causes havoc. Make sure your insurance can cope with any claims
It doesn’t matter whether your favourite team is on a winning streak or already out, we’re all succumbing to World Cup fever. And when we are not glued to our screens, we could well be out in our gardens, copying those 40-yard volleys to goal or the amazing overhead kicks or deft headers which find the corner of the net.
But playing football and other sports in the garden risks penalties. You could damage your own home and be shown a yellow card – or worse – get a red card for fouling your neighbour’s property.
According to home insurer Policy Expert, 8.7 million homes – that’s around one in three – will suffer from sports in the garden or a nearby green space.
It could be a shrub that’s bashed, or a window that’s broken, or worst of all, an injury.
That ball might hit your own home or family. Or, it might be a neighbour who has to deal with your lack of ability. Again, that’s anything from recovering a lost ball to suffering a serious accident.
Because football is the most popular sport, it causes the most damage. Swingball is also a major problem with the ball coming loose or someone letting go of a bat which then flies through the air. Tennis and, to a lesser extent, badminton can also present risks.
When your games activities damage your own home, you might be able to claim on your property insurance – provided you have the right cover. This will normally be called “accidental damage” – an extra on many policies.
Renters may find that the landlord will keep all or part of their deposit if they cause damage playing at home. This has to be the actual cost of the repairs – landlords cannot keep a £1,000 deposit to pay for a £50 broken window.
But where you damage a neighbour’s property or cause them an injury, perhaps a ball breaking a window, accidental damage cover does not apply. Instead, try and sort it out amicably. No matter what insurance anyone has, the easiest route is to put your hand up and pay up.
Failing that, you could eventually end up in court. You might be able to call on any legal expenses section in your home policy.
Should damages be awarded against you, you might be able to claim on the third party liability section in your insurance.