Did you know that some home insurance policies may void themselves if you’re away from your house for a certain number of days? This period could be as little as 4 days, and if something goes wrong, you’ll find yourself without the protection of your home insurance.
Here are several ways that you can protect your home while on holidays.
- If you’re on a well, turn off the water pump. If there is a small leak or a larger pipe failure, the water won’t continue to pump until your well runs dry. This will be accomplished by flipping a breaker in your main fuse panel.
- Turn off the power to your hot water heater. Your hot water heater is constantly on. There are elements, similar to those found inside ovens, that heat the water inside the tank and are usually rated at 1,500w per element; there are 2 in each large water heater.
- Consider a water pressure alarm feature that will send alerts if the water pressure drops suddenly and unexpectedly.
- Turn down the thermostat so that you’re not heating the home unnecessarily.
- Be wary of posting too much on social media about your upcoming extended holiday. Just don’t do it.
- Notify your alarm company if you have a house alarm. Your neighbors will appreciate this in case a racoon gets a bit too nosy.
- Ask a friend or neighbor if they wouldn’t mind collecting your mail for you if you don’t have a mail slot.
Learn the Mandatory ‘Check-in’ Requirements of Your Insurance Policy
Many insurance policies, if not all, have some mandatory requirements that you must adhere to in order to maintain your policy in good standing. If your house will be unoccupied for an extended period, you must make arrangements.
The most important task that you’ll need to arrange is to ensure someone is visiting the home on a regular basis. Depending on the house insurance provider, this could be anywhere from daily to up to around 4 days.
Are you leaving for a holiday soon? Contact a Harbord Insurance Broker today to catch up on your policy details.
