What should I be concerned about if I leave my home alone during the winter?

Winter can do a lot of damage for a home, especially when you are not there to monitor its condition. Make sure that you take the necessary precautions before leaving your home alone for the cold season:

Check your homeowners insurance

• If you have any questions about your coverage, make sure that you contact your insurance agent

• Make sure to conduct a home inventory by including video or photographs of important items and taking them with you. If, for any reason, something happens to a valuable possession of yours, make sure that you have necessary information about this item in order to receive its proper coverage

• Make sure that the things most important to you are insured (jewelry, collectibles, antiques, etc...)

• Check your policy in order to make sure that you are covered even if the house will be unoccupied for a certain period of time

Prepare our house for winter's wrath

• Trim trees and branches

• Clean gutters

• Repair all broken and unstable parts of your home

• Give the appearance that your house is being occupied (lights)

• Store valuables out of view

• Secure all entrances

• Drain exterior faucets

• Set  thermostat in your house to at least 50 degrees

• For even better protection, call a house inspector and get your house checked out before leaving.

When leaving your house, it is important to know all of the details and in order to make sure that you are leaving your house in a safe condition call a home inspector and find out whether any adjustments should be made to your house for the winter.