When you go on vacation, you expect to come back to your home in good order. There are a number of things you can do to keep your home safe while you’re away and avoid any nasty surprises waiting for you when you return.
1. Lock It Before You Leave It!
Sounds obvious doesn’t it? But a last minute check of all windows and doors to make sure they’re locked should be a standard part of your pre-vacation routine. Even if you always lock doors and windows, others in the household may forget to do so. And a surprising number of break-ins happen without any signs of forced entry, which means the thieves likely found an unlocked way into a home.
2. Put Your Mail on Hold
This is even easier to do now by visiting Canada Post online and setting up the hold dates with them. You can also make these arrangements at your local post office. There is a charge for this service so maybe you can ask a neighbour to collect your mail and flyers for you and return the favour when they’re away. The same applies to papers being delivered to your house. There’s nothing like a pile of papers, mail and flyers to let everyone know you’re not there.
3. Make Your House Look Occupied
There are many ways to make it look like you’re still at home, such as:
- Leave a car in your driveway
- Put your indoor lights on various timers
- Your outdoor lights can be timed as well
- Make sure someone shovels the snow or mows your lawn
- You can put the TV or a radio on and off with timers too.
- Using your smartphone and a home automation system, you can control lighting, as well as heating and cooling which saves you money too.
4. Don’t Share Until After Your Vacation
We’re all excited to get away on vacation but don’t share your upcoming plans with your friends (and who knows who else?) on social media. Security settings on social sites may not be as secure as we would like them to be and are certainly not hack-proof. Tell them after you’re back with fabulous pics to go with the highlights of your recent escape!
5. Do Tell Your Alarm Company
If you have a monitored home alarm system (which can qualify you for a discount on your home insurance), let them know you’ll be away and confirm who they should call first if an alarm occurs.
6. And Definitely Tell Your Insurance Company
Depending on how long you’ll be gone, there could be an impact on your coverage if you don’t have someone checking inside your home every so often. If pipes freeze and burst while you’re away, the water damage may not be covered if someone was not regularly looking through your house for you. Your insurer will let you know how to keep your home insurance in force while you’re gone for any length of time.
More Insurance Advice
If you have any questions about your home insurance or any other type of insurance, contact the experts at Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers at 1-800-731-2228 or info@nullmitchellwhale.com. We’d be happy to talk with you.
