Whether you’re planning to spend the holidays mostly at home or going on a vacation, you must know how to protect your home! These are our top tips for protecting your home this holiday season:
- Protect your Christmas tree from catching on fire.
- Make sure your walkways are clear of ice and snow.
- Ensure all doors and windows are locked, and your alarm system is on.
- Arrange for someone to check on your home if you are away.
- Make a list of your high-value belongings.
- Be sure to hide valuable items in your vehicle while holiday shopping.
And don’t forget to talk to your Alberta house insurance agent! They can discuss with you what is and isn’t covered by your home insurance policy.
1. Protect your Christmas tree from catching on fire
A Christmas tree is a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays. If you have an artificial tree, then you need to confirm that it’s made of fire-retardant materials to avoid a fire. Make sure to check your lights for any exposed or frayed wires.
If you have a living tree, you can follow these tips to reduce the risk of fire:
- Keep the tree away from any heat sources, especially open flames.
- Make sure you give the tree water daily.
- Get rid of the tree once it starts shedding needles.
Another benefit to keeping the tree well-hydrated and removing it as soon as it starts to shed needles is that you won’t be left with a huge mess when taking it from your home.
2. Make sure your walkways are clear of ice and snow
While snow can look lovely from the inside, being outside is another story. It can be difficult to trudge through snow, and nobody wants to slip on ice. To get ready for the winter and keep your walkways in good condition, do the following:
- Inspect the shovels you have and purchase new ones as necessary.
- Purchase salt or other ice-melting products.
- Regularly clean and salt your sidewalks. If it rains or the snow melts, and the temperature drops, check for ice patches!
Fortunately, Alberta house insurance can provide liability protection if someone slips and falls on your sidewalk.
3. Ensure all doors and windows are locked, and your alarm system is on
The best way to deter thieves is to make it difficult for them to get into your house in the first place. Whether you are just out for a few hours or several days, ensuring you haven’t provided a would-be thief with an easy way to get into your house is vital. Follow these steps before you leave your house:
- Close all windows and lock them.
- Make sure all doors to your house are locked.
- Set your alarm system.
- Set your lights to a timing system allowing different lights to turn on/off
These may seem like simple actions, but they can make a huge difference in whether a thief can enter your house!
4. Arrange for someone to check on your home if you are away for an extended period of time.
Additional ways to help protect your home when you are away, is to avoid making it obvious that you’re away. Packages and mail piling up let thieves know that no one is home. If you’re going to be away, take the following steps:
- Arrange for your mail to be held, or ask a neighbour to pick it up.
- Ensure that all packages will be delivered before or after you leave.
- Ask a friend or neighbour to keep an eye out for anything else that might be left on your porch or driveway, such as advertising flyers, and clean them up.
- Arrange for a neighbour or hire a snow removal company to clear your driveway/sidewalks of snow.
- Have a neighbour park their vehicle on your driveway while you are away.
5. Make a list of your high-value belongings
It’s much easier to make a claim on your Alberta house insurance policy if you have a list of your high-value belongings. Take photos of the items along with the original receipts (if you have them). This way, it will be easier to process a claim whether your items are stolen or damaged.
If you’re not sure that you have adequate coverage for your high-value belongings, talk to your insurance agent.
6. Be sure to hide valuable items in your vehicle while holiday shopping.
While doing your holiday shopping from store to store and making back-and-forth trips to your car, it’s important to ensure your items are stored away from the prying eyes of thieves. Otherwise, you will find all your hard-earned money going down the drain, leaving you no choice but to start purchasing your holiday gifts all over again.
Consider the following safety tips to make sure the items in your car stay secure:
- Look around to see if anyone is watching you.
- Avoid leaving parcels in the car and going back inside.
- Do not leave valuable items in the back seat for people to see as they walk by your vehicle.
In the event that items are stolen from your car, you need to stay calm and contact the police right away. After reporting the incident, notify your insurance provider about what happened. Bear in mind that you will be claiming under your home insurance policy, as personal property items were stolen from your vehicle.
How can MMI Insurance help me if I need Alberta house insurance?
Are you looking for an insurance company that can provide you with a personalized Alberta house insurance policy? Then look no further!
At MMI Insurance, we offer all of the following:
- Familiarity with Alberta homeowners’ unique demands and over 60 years of experience in the insurance industry.
- A personalized experience to ensure you get a home insurance policy that suits your needs. We’ll take the time to answer any questions you may have about what kind of coverage you need and how our policies work.
- Flexibility regarding what your home insurance policy will cover. We cover a wide variety of dwellings, including houses, condos, mobile homes and farms.
- Comprehensive home insurance policies that insure you from overland water to liability claims.
We pride ourselves on ensuring our customers receive quality home insurance coverage at affordable prices.
Don’t Risk Having Inadequate Home Insurance Coverage
We’ve given you some great tips to help protect your house this holiday season. Another way to give yourself protection and peace of mind is to ensure that your Alberta house insurance policy is up to date and provides adequate coverage for your house and belongings.
Whether you want a new policy or have concerns about your current one, we can help you at MMI Insurance We. will provide you with a quote that provides you coverage that fits your needs.
To learn more about how we can help you, call us at 866-222-6996 or contact us online. Let our experts find you the perfect match for home insurance!
