Heading south this winter? Protect
your home
With winter just around the corner, many Canadians
are starting to pack up for their annual trip down south. Taking an
extended winter vacation is a welcome escape from cold weather, but
before hitting the road, there are a few steps snowbirds should
take to protect their homes while they’re away.
“No one wants to come home from vacation
to an unwelcome surprise,” says Henry Blumenthal, Vice
President and Chief Underwriter, TD Insurance. “Whether
you’re going away for a week or several months, taking a
few precautions before you leave can help save you from potential
headaches.”
TD Insurance offers the following advice for
snowbirds leaving their homes this winter:
Invest in an alarm system: The
best deterrent for burglars is an alarm system. Although alarms
require an upfront investment, you can often take advantage of
lower home insurance premiums if your home is equipped with
one.
Get the lived-in look: An obvious
sign that nobody is home is a full mailbox and a snow-covered walk.
Ask a friend or hire a young person in the neighbourhood to pick up
your mail and shovel your driveway so that it looks like someone is
home.
Shut down and unplug: Before you
lock up, shut off the main water supply to your home and remember
to drain the pipes to ensure that water pipes don’t
freeze. You should also unplug electrical appliances and computers
so that they are not damaged if there is a power surge.
“It’s also important to keep an
updated inventory of your valuables so that it’s easier
to identify what has been lost if you do have to make a
claim,” adds Blumenthal. “The easiest way to do
this is to take pictures of everything and send them to your
insurer for safe keeping.”
More information is available online at www.tdinsurance.com, or
toll-free at 1-888-788-0839.
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