If you are planning on leaving your home unattended for an extended period of time, chances are that you will need to purchase an unoccupied house insurance policy. If you are unsure about what unoccupied house insurance is or whether or not you need it, consulting with a professional insurance broker like the ones from Mountainview Insurance will ensure that all of your questions are answered properly.
What is Unoccupied or Vacant Home Insurance?
Since a typical homeowner’s insurance policy will not cover fire, vandalism, or other types of specific claims if a home is left unoccupied for an extended period of time, unoccupied house insurance can be purchased to provide a house with coverage when it is empty. Unoccupied house insurance can be purchased as a separately policy, replacing the standard home insurance policy or it can be purchased as an endorsement and added onto your current homeowner’s policy.
When to Buy Unoccupied House Insurance
In most cases, insurance companies will deny claims for homes that are left unoccupied for more than 30 days at a time. Before leaving your home on an extended vacation, make sure to talk to your insurance broker about whether or not you should purchase unoccupied home insurance to ensure that you are meeting your policy requirements.
Some instances where you should consider purchasing unoccupied house insurance include:
- You own a vacation home that is only used a few times a year
- You bought a new home but will not be moving in right away
- You have moved to a new home but have yet to sell your old home
- You frequently travel for weeks at a time
- You are undergoing medical treatment and will need to stay in the hospital for weeks
- You are renovating your home and staying somewhere else while the work is being completed
- You rent your home but are currently in between tenants
How Much Does Unoccupied House Insurance Cost?
The overall cost of your unoccupied house insurance policy or endorsement will depend on your insurance provider, the type of policy, the location of the house, how much the house is worth, and the amount of time the policy will last.
Learn more about how much it costs to insure an unoccupied house.
If you would like to learn more about what unoccupied house insurance is, or if you are interested in one of their home insurance products, please contact Mountainview Insurance at 604-557-0255 or by filling out a contact form on their website.