Getting away this long weekend? When you leave your house for a long period of time you are leaving it vulnerable to theft, accidents, or damage. To best prepare your house for your vacation, consider these home safety tips before departing. A few minutes can go a long way in preventing any unexpected occurrence or possible insurance claims.
Mail Deliveries: Cancelling regular deliveries, like putting a temporary hold on newspaper deliveries, will reduce the amount of attention your house receives while you are gone. Canada Post offers a Hold Mail service that will temporarily halt the delivery of parcels to your home or business.
Heat & Water: Turn down your thermostat no lower than 16 C to prevent your water pipes from freezing or bursting. Also, don’t forget to turn off your water main and then go around the house and drain all your faucets.
Lights & Plugs: Motion lights or a light timer will allow you to program your lights to make it appear you’re still home, while a smart home lighting system can give you full control to program lights in advance or even while you’re on vacation (in case you forget before leaving the house!).
Social Media: ‘Checking-in’ or posting trip plans will provide people with a timeline of when your house will be unattended. Save the sharing until you get back home! It will give you more time to pick out that perfect vacation shot anyway.
Smart Home Security System: A smart home setup will allow you to monitor your home from wherever you are and even contact 911 if you see suspicious activity on your monitoring app. If you have a monitored alarm system, be sure to contact your alarm system company to inform them that you’ll be away and for how long.
House Sitter: Ask a trusted friend, relative or neighbour to keep a watchful eye on your home while you’re away. The person will be able to check on the house to make sure nothing has been disturbed and to keep the driveway and sidewalk cleared and salted. They can also brush the snow and ice off of your vehicles if necessary. Snow removal will not only give the impression your home is occupied; it will also protect against slip and fall accidents you may be liable for.
Lock Up: Check your home openings one-by-one to make sure you haven’t left any open to intruders.
Protect your Belongings: Last but not least, speak to your insurance Broker to ensure you have the right coverage for the valuables in your home.
Cataloging items and saving your receipts will help you recover the cost of lost articles in the event of a loss.
Unica offers additional comprehensive coverage for your most valued items and collections that may not necessarily be joining you on your trip. Valuables and Collections coverage can provide you with customized protection for items in your home such as stamp collections, electronics or even sports equipment—both memorabilia or athletic equipment belonging to you or your children. Contact your Broker to learn more.
Resources: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/home-preparation-winter-vacation-1.4452906
