In getting ready for our upcoming trip, our longest yet of about 5 months away, I was searching for info on things that might need to be done when I came across one I’d never heard before – Check your home insurance. What? I knew we needed to make sure we were good on the health and travel insurance front, but why would we need to check in on our home insurance?
Did you know that if you leave your house unoccupied for greater than 30 days your home may not be covered by your insurance as usual?? I sure didn’t!! That means if something happens to the house or someone breaks in while you’re away then it might not be covered because it’s considered vacant/unoccupied. Some insurers won’t cover vacant homes at all, while others may want to adjust your rates or sell you additional coverage.
When I found out I quickly emailed our insurance agent at State Farm and they were able to add a “Vacancy Endorsement” that makes sure some coverage remains whenever the house is empty for greater than 30 days. Cost in our case was $55/year, so well worth it to ensure our home is covered!