If your home is to be left unoccupied for a lengthy period of time – usually more than 30 days – you’ll need unoccupied insurance.
When might I need unoccupied home insurance?
A home can be unoccupied for 30 days or more for all manner of reasons. Perhaps the householders are taking an extended holiday to travel, the property may be awaiting sale, undergoing major refurbishments, awaiting probate or, if it’s a second home which you rent out, perhaps you are waiting for new tenants to move in.
In each of these cases you will need to notify your insurance provider and organise unoccupied property insurance to keep it fully protected while you are away from home.
Won’t my home be covered by my normal household insurance?
You need different cover if your home is to be unoccupied for more than 30 days because during that time it will be at greater risk and your insurer will view your property as a “non-standard” insurance risk.
While it is unoccupied it will be more vulnerable to break in, theft and vandalism, and if there are other problems caused by the elements, such as storm damage or a burst pipe or electrical fire, there will be no one on hand to raise the alarm and prevent excessive damage being caused.
I have a friend calling in each day to check on my home, that’s OK isn’t it?
Many people wrongly assume if they have a trusted neighbour, friend of relative to check on their property their normal insurance will cover them.
In fact, some policies have a condition that vacant properties have someone to check on them regularly, but the house will still be unoccupied as far as your insurer is concerned.
Tips for winter-proofing an empty property
If you’re leaving your property empty over the winter without taking the necessary precautions, this can cause a number of issues, including frozen water pipes and damp. And if there’s no one to keep an eye on the house, these issues can quickly snowball into major ones, causing long-lasting and costly property damage.
Keep your heating on low to avoid burst or frozen pipes - One of the best things you can do to avoid your water pipes from freezing or bursting in an unoccupied property is to keep your heating on low. There are two options available for this: either you can keep your heating on all day and night with your thermostat at around 15 degrees Celsius, or you can set it to come on for a few hours in the morning and a few hours at night. It’s important to note that many insurance providers will stipulate that you must keep your heating on continuously in order to maintain a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.
Consider draining your pipes - As pipes burst when the water inside them freezes and therefore expands, this makes it less likely that your pipes will get damaged.
An unoccupied property is more susceptible to a wide range of issues, so it’s a good idea to have unoccupied home insurance in place.
For a quote please call us on 0207 691 2409 or email enquiries@oncoverinsurance.co.uk
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