What do you do to your house?

Tell your agent exactly what you are doing no matter if it's 3 weeks or 7 months and then get it in writing that it is ok for you to do what you explained to them. They may issue a rider because the house is considered unoccupied. NOT vacant but unoccupied.

Unoccupied vs vacant

Up around us, the insurance companies are only concerned with houses that are empty, ie, moved out. Folks go on 2,3,4 week vacations all the time so it simply not feasible for an insurance company to insist that a house be tended to. I'd quickly change insurance companies if they insisted on such a rediculous requirement.

Yes, a couple of years ago our agent showed us where our homeowner's policy had that provision. I have concerns about turning off city water, or using very little electricity due to that abandoned/vacant thing.

Had an interesting discussion with my insurance agent. HAd a tree damage clain last year. She said that the house is considered "abandoned/vacant" unless someone 18 years or older is checking the house weekly............ She said that I needed to notify them and then be sure someone walks through weekly.

Would hate to not do that (which we did for years with a neighbor keeping an eye on the place but not necessarily entering once a week) and discover we were not covered due to "abandoning" the residence. Hmmmmmmmm...................

Anyone else been told this?

pyoung47 wrote:
I am all electric. My meter is read daily through the transmission lines. I use their app to monitor daily usage for any anomalies.

Good point, I forgot all about being able to do that; we all electric digital also and can do the same. :C

... Eric

I am all electric. My meter is read daily through the transmission lines. I use their app to monitor daily usage for any anomalies.

When we're gone months at a time, we set battery powered digital timers throughout the house, shut the hot water heater off, turn the water off, set the heat (fully electric) on low and stop the mail. Set the alarm on and leave.

We have a lawn service in the summer and a snow service in the winter. As well, my neighbor across the street uses our driveway for one of his 3 cars when we are away.

Our kids live in the area and one of them will usually come by to check on the house now and then. Neighbor also has a key.

joebedford wrote:
I get my driveway plowed by a local. All the locals know we're gone anyway. It's only strangers who might think the place is occupied.

Funny how we all think different. I have the same thing, but don't plow. Makes it hard for a stranger to get close to the place, plus alerts the locals if they see tracks that something is going on.

True story. A local motel had a snowmobile stolen from one of it's customers. Local Sheriff followed the snowmobile tracks to the thief place, got the machine back and took the person to jail.

We installed a whole house generator a smaller 8,000 watt unit that has the automatic transfer feature feature I have 10 circuits that transfer in during a power loss. I leave the furnace on 52 during our absence in the winter and 80 during summer absence. I shut off the water heater and drain the water at a low point faucet in the basement. Everything that comes to us in the form of a bill comes through an email. all my reoccurring bills are set for auto pay. I have set up on credit cards and bank withdrawals, alerts that come to my cell phone so that I know anytime a payment or withdrawals are made. I do not carry a lot of cash as ATM's are everywhere and my bank reimburses all fees. I found a lawn cutting company that will cut the lawn at any amount if times I want. My neighbor across the street keeps the driveway clean and we keep him stocked in goodies from our travels. I alert the police dept when we leave. For longer absences we do the temp change of address for short jaunts we just have the mail held at the P.O. We have close friends that check the house from time to time.

I get my driveway plowed by a local. All the locals know we're gone anyway. It's only strangers who might think the place is occupied.