Are you one of the lucky Americans who are fortunate enough to own a second home? Vacation homes are typically found in the mountains, near the beach, near lakes, or anywhere else where there’s nice weather, while your other location is miserably cold or hot. Before you pack up and head home, there are a number of tasks you should take care of at your vacation home to ensure it will be prepared to face the cold temperatures of the winter months. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:
- Make sure to move all of your patio furniture inside so that it won’t be damaged by water, freezing or high winds.
- Fill up your cart with mousetraps! Depending on the location of your vacation home, critters may be itching to get inside while you’re gone. Do all you can to keep the pests out!
- Make sure to leave your heat thermostat set to 60 degrees! This will help to keep the humidity out of the house.
- You should leave certain aspects of your electricity on. For example, make sure your security system, front porch light, and heat all still work. Everything else should be turned off.
- One of the most important things to remember to do is to turn off the water, and drain your pipes! This will prevent your pipes from freezing and then bursting, causing a costly flood.
- Make sure all food is put away, and install a wire mesh screen over your chimney to keep pesky animals out.
If you would like insurance for your vacation home, you will need to purchase a policy that’s separate from your homeowner’s insurance policy. Contact the agents at Gee-Schussler Insurance Agency, one of the top independent insurance agencies in Illinois! We can compare multiple carriers in order to find you the right policy at the right price!
