Planning a vacation is so exciting! You choose all your excursions and all the places you’re going to see.  But how often do you really think about what happens with your home and insurance when it comes to going on vacation? Here is what you need to consider before heading out for vacation to make sure you’re covered – just in case.  

What does your insurance company expect you to do before leaving? 

For the most part, insurance companies will expect you to do a couple specific things before you head out on vacation in order to make sure that you don’t have any issues with your coverage staying in place.  

A couple examples that they may require you to do are to drain your pipes before leaving or (if it’s a winter vacation) ensure the heat in your home stays on so that the pipes don’t freeze while you’re away.  

If you don’t follow the requirements that your insurance provider has in place, they may determine that you don’t have coverage should anything happen when you’re away on vacation. If you have questions about what your specific insurance company requires, you can give your broker a call to let them know when you’re going on vacation and ask what needs to be done to make sure there isn’t any issues with your coverage.  

Does it matter how long you’re on vacation for? 

In most cases, going away for a week or even two weeks isn’t going to impact your insurance coverage. But for longer excursions, you’ll want to contact your insurance broker to make sure that you’re covered.  

Going on a long vacation, or extended holiday, means that your home will be unoccupied for 60 consecutive days or more.  

For some policies, the insurance company will require you to have a different type of insurance if you are going away for an extended amount of time – but that amount of time could vary from 60 anywhere up to 180 days. You will need to check with your insurance broker as to what the provider’s individual policy is.  

How does extended holiday coverage affect your regular home insurance? 

When you have extended leave coverage on your home, your insurance company may require you to pay higher premiums for the period of time where you are away from your home.  

You likely won’t have to pay more for the whole year, just for the timeframe when you are away from your home for more than 60 consecutive days. You may also need to meet conditions like keeping your lawn mowed and ensuring there is someone to collect your mail so it doesn’t look like no one is home. These small tasks will help prevent burglary and other issues with your home while you aren’t there.  

Is it just when you’re travelling that you need extended coverage?  

You may need to look for extra coverage if you are renovating your house, if you’re going to be in hospital receiving care for an extended period of time or you’re moving out or trying to rent your property. Extended leave insurance is not just for when you’re on vacation: if you’re going to be away from your home for an extended period at any time you will need to make sure you have the right coverage to protect your home.  

Contact ICD Insurance today 

If you have questions about your home insurance or you think you might need to apply for extended leave insurance, we are here to help. Call us today to speak with one of our brokers.