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While travel plans might look a little different this year, check
these 10 tasks off your to-do list to keep your home safe and secure
while you’re away over the winter — even if you’re only headed to
the cottage:
Most
sump pumps
rely on electricity to operate, so if your power goes out during a
heavy rainfall or the spring thaw (when you need your sump pump the
most), you’ll be out of luck. Make sure you have a working battery
backup system or generator in place in case of a
power outage.
If your power goes out or your furnace dies while you’re away, a
smart-monitoring system will let you know there’s a problem so you
can have it repaired to restore your heat and prevent further damage
to your home (like frozen pipes, for example).
Nothing says “we’re not home!” quite like an overflowing mailbox or
a month’s worth of newspapers and packages piled up on your porch.
Put your newspaper subscription and other regular deliveries on hold
while you’re away. If you’re going to be gone for several months,
you may also want to set up mail forwarding to keep your mailbox
empty and make sure you don’t miss any important bills or letters.
Plan to have a neighbour or snow-removal service come to your house
to shovel and de-ice your front porch, sidewalk, and driveway on a
regular basis. Not only will this help make your house look lived
in, but keeping these areas free of snow and ice could
help prevent slips (and the liability claims that tend to follow
slip-and-fall incidents).
A jewelry box is a thief’s dream come true. If you’re planning on
leaving any valuable jewelry or other small valuable items at home,
store them in a fireproof safe or in another secure location, like a
safety deposit box.
Bonus tip: Did you know that
most home insurance policies have special limits for jewelry
coverage, and these limits might be lower than you expect? You may need to
purchase additional coverage if your collection goes above the limit
set out in your policy.
Have them walk through each room (including the basement) and make
sure there are no signs of trouble. Be sure to leave a phone number
where you can be reached, as well as other emergency numbers they
might need (including your plumber and your group’s licensed home
insurance broker.
Bonus tip: Your insurer may have specific rules that outline how often you’ll
need to have someone come in and inspect your home when you’re away.
Talk to your group’s broker to find out what’s required under your
policy.
Think about your regular habits. Do you usually watch TV for a couple of hours in the evening? Do you always leave a light on in the hallway overnight? Set timers to power up your lights, TV, and radio at the times you’d normally have them turned on.
Even though the fridge and freezer may seem like safe places to leave food until you come home in the spring, they won’t do you much good if they stop running (during a power outage, for example). It’s safer to empty your fridge and freezer when you’ll be gone for an extended period of time to avoid spoilage. Don’t forget to empty your garbage cans, too.
Take these simple steps to turn off your home’s water supply and drain your home’s water pipes to prevent them from freezing (and possibly bursting) while you’re away.
Check that all windows and doors in your home are locked (don’t forget the basement, the garage, and the shed), and consider putting security bars inside your window frames on main-floor and basement windows so they can’t slide open. You could also install a company- or self-monitored security system for added protection.
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