Owning a vacation home can be a great way to feel comfortable and in control away from home. Vacation homes are excellent investments as they can reduce the need to pay for hotels, and recurring expenses when you want to get away. The downside is that you aren’t always there to keep these homes protected. This is a risk you’re willing to take to enjoy some, “home away from home,” style relaxation.
Even though there are natural risks that exist when you own a vacation home, you can still safeguard it. Safeguarding this home and investment will ensure your days spent away from it will be filled with excitement to get back, rather than dread that something happened to it.
These tips and tricks will show you how you can help keep your vacation home protected.
Home insurance
This tip shouldn’t come as a surprise. Home insurance should be purchased for any homes you own to protect from a big list of potential damages. While a vacation home isn’t usually occupied for extended periods of time, when you are there you should know what to protect it from.
Some of the usual suspects that will protect your vacation home include fire, vandalism, and weather conditions. Weather conditions are important, especially when you own a vacation home in an area with bad seasons.
Unoccupied home insurance
Now for the other days of the year when you aren’t occupying that home. While you need insurance for this home much like you’d have for your own, you will need to consider how long no one is there. After a certain amount of days, you may not be able to cover your vacation home for damages while you’re absent.
The unoccupied home insurance will protect your home from similar damages like weather, vandalism or burglary, etc. But it allows you to do this while not occupying the home. Some insurance policies for homes become void when there isn’t anyone living there, as Money Expert explains, this leaves your home unprotected. An unprotected home far away from you is a huge risk to take.
Unoccupied home insurance will keep this home covered with all kinds of potential damages that can occur in your absence, even including illegal settlers. Having this is a good way to have a little piece of mind with protecting your home. Remember that some things won’t be covered, like if you do not properly secure any ways to enter your vacation home.
Renovations
If you want to ensure that your vacation home is up to code to be covered by any insurance to safeguard it from damage, you may need to commit to some renovations. Making sure that this vacation home is not falling apart, with exposed wiring or nails, will fast track you to getting that insurance policy. It is also generally advised to not have any unsightly parts of this home that can cause injury to you or your guests.
Fencing off your property
One of the biggest renovations you can do to your vacation home is fenced off your home. This renovation deserves its own category because it is useful for many reasons. Among these reasons, preventing anyone from getting into your yard, or at least making it much harder.
Fencing off your property is suggested because it will keep any potential strangers from wandering onto your property and hurting themselves, saving you some legal fees. It also makes it much harder for anyone trying to purposefully get into your home to rob you. Generally speaking, a fence on your vacation home’s property will be a big green light to apply for premium insurance coverage.
Safeguarding your vacation home will allow you to fully enjoy having a nice getaway location. The last thing you would want to see when showing up to this relaxation spot would be damaged or receiving legal notices. Keeping your vacation home, protected is not nearly as hard as it seems.
Making sure that your vacation home is protected from damage like fires, vandalism, natural conditions and property damage are easily achievable with home insurance. This will protect it from most of the causes of damage to a home. Secondly, you should know what it means to protect your home when you aren’t there.
Unoccupied home insurance, renovations and fencing your property will ensure long lasting solutions to any issues that can occur while you’re gone. Unoccupied home insurance acts like home insurance, but for those who are away for extended periods. Protecting the property with physical renovations is also something that should be heavily considered as well.
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Interesting related article: “Real estate properties and how to look after them.”