Is Your Home Ready for Summer Vacation?

Do you have big plans this summer? Well, don’t leave your home out of them! Whether you’re planning to leave your home for a few weeks or days, you need to safeguard your home against not only damages, but also break ins.

Assessing your home’s security, weather forecast, and of course your home insurance policy are just a few ways that you can protect and prevent damages to your property during the summer. Ensuring that you have sufficient home insurance coverage is your greatest asset against break ins, water leaks, and more.

How to Keep Your Home Safe Before, During and After Your Vacation

Don’t let attempted break ins or unwanted damages spoil our hard-earned vacation! Regardless of how far you’re travelling or how safe your neighborhood is, considering potential hazards and theft can help you prevent break ins and accidents before they occur.

The following tips can help you secure your home:

1. Assess Your Current Security

Taking some time to consider how effective your current security system is can help you identify potential gaps in your home’s security. Some common security measures include

• Ensure all locks are in working order. Placing a bar or rod in between a sliding door and the wall is an excellent preventative measure against an unlocked sliding door.
• Check the perimeter of your home for any poorly sealed windows or doors. And don’t forget those windows, either: AC units and unlocked first-floor windows often provide burglars with an entry point!
• Remove spare keys from the exterior. Leaving a key outside seems like a great idea, but there’s always the possibility that someone can find it! Remove keys from the exterior and provide a copy of your key, or code for the keypad, to a trusted family member or friend.
• Test all alarms, motion sensor lights, cameras, and timers. This will help you identify any potential equipment failures before it’s too late.
• Store valuable items out of sight. Place valuables in a safety deposit box and remove expensive electronics out of view.

The Government of Canada recommends that homeowners take a quick inventory of their belongings prior to leaving, which is an excellent way to assess valuables! In some cases, items above a certain value, including jewelry and priceless family heirlooms, may be added to a home insurance policy.

2. Check the Weather

Theft isn’t the only thing that can damage your home: inclement weather can also wreak havoc on any empty home! Unexpected flooding, fires, earthquakes and even thunderstorms can cause damage to your roof, interior and belongings, too.

Although weather can be unpredictable, taking the time to consider how the weather might impact the integrity of your home can help you make more informed decisions that mitigate hazards—like ensuring that the sump pump is in good working order, shutting off the water supply, AC, and unplugging electronics.

3. Review Your Insurance Policy!

Before you leave your condo for the cottage or hit to road to head up North, taking the time to review your home insurance policy can help you not only understand your insurance coverage, but also help you prepare to leave home. For example, does your policy cover flood damages if no one is home? Does your current policy cover that expensive engagement ring your fiancé just bought you?

Even if you’re only contemplating a vacation, consulting your Acumen insurance broker can help you understand your policy and make better choices for your home and wallet!

Your Best Summer Yet Starts with Acumen Insurance Group!

Our brokers love summer—and that’s why we want you to make the most of it. Whether you’re renewing or reviewing your home insurance policy, contact us today to learn more about Ontario home insurance options!