Summer weather is the time to enjoy picnics, BBQs, road trips and beach getaways. All that time away from home also means one other thing – an increase in break-ins. Summer weekends often begin earlier with people working shorter work weeks, opening up the window of time thieves have to case and burglarize your home.
Valuables and Collections coverage can provide you with customized protection for items in your home such as stamp collections, electronics or even sports equipment
It can be easy to forget your home could be at risk amid all the summer planning, but taking a few preventative measures can ensure the fun doesn’t stop and your home stays safe:
- Mail Deliveries: Cancelling regular deliveries will reduce the amount of attention your house will receive when you are gone. An example of this would be temporarily stopping newspaper deliveries. Canada Post offers a Hold Mail service that will temporarily halt the delivery of parcels to your home or business.
- Lights: Motion lights or a light timer will allow you to program your lights to make it appear you’re still home, while a smart home lighting system can give you full control to program lights in advance or even while you’re on vacation (in case you forget before leaving the house!).
- Outdoor Maintenance: Hiring a professional or having a friend/ family member trim the grass and water the garden, will not only give the appearance nothing has changed but also that someone is around the house regularly.
- Social Media: ‘Checking-in’ or posting trip plans will provide people with a timeline of when your house will be unattended. Save the sharing until you get back home! It will give you more time to pick out that perfect vacation shot anyway.
- Smart Home Security System: A smart home setup will allow you to monitor your home from wherever you are and even contact 911 if you see suspicious activity on your monitoring app. If you have a monitored alarm system, be sure to contact your alarm system company to inform them that you’ll be away and for how long.
- House Sitter: Finding someone you trust to come to house sit your home is always a good tip to keep your house safe. The person will be able to check on the house and make sure nothing has been disturbed. They can also water any plants, feed pets, or collect any flyers that have been piling up outside.
- Lock Up: Summer heat may mean you’ve opened up a few doors or windows to get a draft. Check your home openings one-by-one to make sure you haven’t left any open to intruders.
- Protect your Belongings: And last but not least, speak to your Broker to ensure you have the right coverage for the valuables in your home. Cataloguing your items and saving your receipts will help you recover the cost of lost items in the event of a loss.
Unica offers additional comprehensive coverage for your most valued items and collections that may not necessarily be joining you on your trip. Valuables and Collections coverage can provide you with customized protection for items in your home such as stamp collections, electronics or even sports equipment – both memorabilia or athletic equipment belonging to you or your children. Contact your Broker to learn more.
