Owning a secondary home or vacation property can be a rewarding experience and allow you to build so many memories! While owning a vacation home can have countless advantages, it does bring some unique responsibility and maintenance.
Regardless of whether you’re buying a cabin just a few miles away on the lake or an oceanfront condo in Hawaii, you’ll use twice per year, you’ll want to make sure your property remains adequately protected. Renting the property adds an entirely new level of complexity to secondary home ownership and yet a better reason to review your coverages with your licensed insurance agent.
Consider these items when talking to your agent:
- Will you need a separate insurance policy for your vacation property liability?
- What liability limits are adequate for a home that is vacant more often than is occupied?
- If you’ll be renting the property, consider purchasing additional liability limits as well as an umbrella insurance policy to protect you.
- Is your vacation home in an area that is affected by natural disasters such as forest fires, hurricanes, floods or earthquakes? You may need a separate additional policy for these.
Follow these insurance tips to reduce the risk of having a claim:
- Keep valuables out of your vacation home. Take them with you when you leave.
- Ask a neighbor to keep an eye out for any unusual activity at your home.
- Consider getting a video surveillance camera such as a Canary or Ring to alert you if someone enters your home. These do not require service contracts and alert you by phone.
- Keep your heater set to 60 to prevent any pipes from freezing.
- Turn off your water if you plan to leave for extended periods of time. This takes only a few seconds.
- Consider a management company if you want to rent the property. They will help keep an eye on things.
- Check for obvious liability concerns if you plan to rent the property such as rotten decking, trip hazards, or other deferred maintenance.
We wish you years of memories and relaxation with your secondary home or vacation property. When you’re ready to insure your property, give us a call.
So, if you’re looking for insurance in Gilbert, give us a call. Founded in 2005, Insurance Brokers of Arizona® is a leader in quality protection for individuals, families and businesses throughout the Southwest. Insurance Brokers of Arizona® is currently licensed in Arizona and California. Providing world class customer service with our extremely experienced and knowledgeable team, paired with our ability to understand our customer’s coverage needs, drives the success of our agency.
By offering protection for your Auto, Home, Business and Health Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future, so that you can focus on what is important to you and your family. At Insurance Brokers of Arizona® our #1 job is to assist you in identifying your needs and problems, while putting together a customized plan that’s simple and easy to understand.
According to FEMA, flood claims occurred in every state in our country in 2016 with the average claim cost in excess of $31,000. Just because your property doesn’t sit next to a stream, river or other body of water doesn’t mean you won’t be impacted. Our recent hurricanes are a great example. Heavy rains can overwhelm drainage systems, run-off from hillsides can seep into your basements and levees can fail. Pretty much anywhere rain falls is where flooding can occur, although, rain is not always the reason. Additionally, it is important to note that flood insurance is NOT included with your standard homeowners insurance policy.
We’re flooded daily with insurance commercials claiming that shopping with them will get you the lowest insurance premiums of any company out there. Saving money on your insurance is important, but the lowest insurance premiums are usually accompanied by the lowest insurance coverage.
