How do you prep your house before leaving on vacation? Because The Huz and I both travel frequently, we like to think we’re experts. Spoiler alert: we’re not! We all know there’s certain things we must do to our vehicles before taking a road trip, but folks often forget to prep their home before vacating it. Here’s what you need to know about leaving your house before you go on a holiday.
Nobody wants to come home to a nasty surprise. (Photo credit: Scott Webb)
This post presented in partnership with Esurance
How do you prep your house before leaving on vacation? Because The Huz and I both travel frequently, we like to think we’re experts. Spoiler alert: we’re not! We all know there’s certain things we must do to our vehicles before taking a road trip, but folks often forget to prep their home before vacating it. Here’s what you need to know about leaving your house before you go on a holiday.
Can I leave my house unattended while I’m away?
Actually, you can! Of course, it depends on your insurance policy, but some, like Esurance don’t have a rule on how many days you can leave your home unattended in summer. Even if it’s not a requirement to have someone pop into your home every few days while you’re on summer vacation, common sense says you should.
The requirement under most home policies is that in the wintertime, someone needs to check your homes’ heating regularly. Usually the requirement is every four days. This is to make sure pipes aren’t freezing.
Also, a vacation isn’t the same as leaving your house vacant. Homeowner’s insurance usually doesn’t cover burglary or theft losses when no one lives in the house. Be sure to check your policy wording. I don’t mean actually read the policy. Snore. I mean call in and get a rep to check.
Should I turn off the water to my home before I go away?
Surprisingly, many insurance companies don’t require you to turn off the water or gas – unless you’ll be away for a bunch of days in the winter. Still, you’ll want to check with your insurer. One of the most common causes of water damage is from a burst pipe in the washing machine supply lines. The easiest thing you can do to avoid interior water damage is turn off your water valve before you go away. We do this even if we’re leaving for the weekend in summer. It’s just become a habit.
If you draw your curtains, neighbours won’t be able to spot an intruder. (Photo credit: Ben Garratt)
How to prep before leaving your house on vacation
You know to turn off your water and gas (even if your policy doesn’t require it in summer, just do it). Here’s a few other things you should do secure your home before leaving on holiday.
- Arrange to stop your mail service.
- Have a look around your house and yard with the thought that it could rain, hail or be seriously windy. Move lawn furniture and other items that could be caught by the wind and tossed around.
- Consider investing in a security app that lets you know if someone approaches your home. Some of them have water sensors and can manage your lights and TV, so it looks like you’re at home. Google “smart home apps” for options.
- Putting timers on lights in different rooms is also a good hack.
- Go through your house and take pictures of your contents, furniture, etc… It’s super easy on an iPhone. Even better is taking a video. Put these pics and vids on the Cloud.
- If you lean towards OCD, go ahead and take the serial number of your electronics. If they’re stolen and the thief is caught, you just might get them back.
- If you’ve got the time, go through each room and make a list of your contents. Record everything in drawers and cupboards, too. The more specific you can be, the better. Insurance companies will compensate you much more for a KitchenAid toaster than a generic one.
How far you want to go taking stock of all your household items is up to you. (Photo credit: Brooke Lark)
Don’t do this
- Don’t hide a key anywhere on your property. The safest solution is to give a copy to a trusted neighbour or friend so there’s no chance a burglar finds your spare set.
- Don’t post your travel plans on social media. It’s advertising that your house will be empty, and can act as an invitation to thieves. More importantly, nobody wants to see hastily taken (read: bad) photos of you on your holiday. If you postpone till you’re home, you’ll be able to edit and post only the best pics. #protip
- Don’t draw your curtains. Leave them open, so if there is a break-in, someone might see the thieves skulking around and will call police. I’m talking to you, Dan Pigat.
- Leave your car in the drive way to make it look like you’re at home, if you live in Alberta or someplace known to get hail. You’re more likely to get hail damage than a break-in.
Things neighbours can do to protect your house while you’re away
When you’re away, the goal is to make the place look occupied. If you’re going to be away for more than a few days, ask your neighbour to…
- Walk through your home every couple of days.
- Encourage your teen neighbours to chill at your house at night, as we do. It’s an escape from their parents and keeps your home occupied. Set them up with the wifi password and some enticing junk food.
- Switch up your curtains, blinds and turn on a few lights.
- Grab any packages or mail notices left on your doorstep. The worst are those menu flyers that get shoved in your doorway for all to notice.
- Maintain your lawn and shrubbery while you’re gone. You’ll want to pay them for this, or consider hiring a landscape company.
The 5 minute task you should do before leaving for vacation
It takes just five minutes to give your insurance company a call before your trip. How much time did you spend researching your trip? Hours, right? When you estimate the time spent planning your holiday, giving your insurance company a call is a no brainer. Don’t assume you know your policy. Every company is a little different. Call and ask.
While you’re on the phone, consider asking how much of an increase it would be to get guaranteed replacement costs on your policy. In the US this is a pricy add on. In Canada it’s not. The benefit is the insurance company will have to shell out for the cost of replacing the home (and all its stuff), not the cash value of the home. There is a major difference. Replacement costs net you way more $$.
And if you’ve got kids away at college or a parent in a nursing home, inquire how much it is to have their contents added onto your policy. Even if they’re not living under the same roof, it’s possible to get them added for a nominal fee.
If you hate insurance peeps…
Go and grab a quote from Esurance. The company is cool because you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. How millennial, right? You can manage your claims and policy online or by phone. On the other hand, you can absolutely talk to a helpful expert if you do want to. Their claims and customer service is open 24/7.
How do you prep your home before you leave on holidays?
These are all great ideas. We always hire house sitters. Luckily, we have tons of family who are willing and we bought the ring doorbell which is amazing. We can talk to anyone ringing our doorbell right through our smart phones. It is really cool.