Residential properties are safer when occupied. And unoccupied property is more of an invitation to unwanted people where they can break in anytime. Having house insurance for an empty house is one of the best things to do if you are actually concerned about your property. Here is what all you need to consider before getting an insurance.
Check all the clauses
As you plan a house insurance for empty houses, it is necessary that you check all the property clauses mentioned in the insurance plan for an unoccupied property. Many times people forget to check these clauses and regret later. Hence the first tip would be to take a look at your policy in order to see what is the definition of unoccupied as per the policy. There are some policies which consider a house unoccupied if no authorised person has slept overnight in the house within the past 60 days. Once this is done, you can now move ahead with the policy.
Know when your house will be considered unoccupied
The definition of an unoccupied house varies from one policy to another. You can not expect the clauses to be the same as per your assumption. The bookish definition of an unoccupied house is not the same as that of the empty house insurance policy. Sometimes your policy cover will depend on the fact whether your house was normally empty or you usually lived there but now don’t. So depending on the type of policy you choose and terms and conditions mentioned in it, you need to be aware of everything.
Adding cover as per your preference
Many policies of home insurance for empty property come with an option to add a cover. Do not ignore that. You must definitely consider adding a cover for empty and unoccupied property. This can be better explained by an example. If you are at your holiday home and you wish to renovate your property, you need to notify this to your insurance company. The fact that your homework will be vacant for 60 or more days should be known to the finance company. After you explain the reason why your house is empty, the insurance company will have to agree to cover it. Though there might be some additional terms too but you will anyway get the extra cover.
Policy conditions applicable on your property
Depending on the policy you choose, there are several conditions that are applicable on your property. Hence you must be aware of all those actions that come under the policy. If your home falls in the category of unoccupied property, there will be some conditions that you need to follow for maintaining the cover. These things are nothing but everything you would do to keep your house secure. It includes locking the doors and windows, turning off water mains etc. These are fine but if there are any special conditions like keeping the lawn clean then you must really know about it.
Whatever the reason is for your empty house, it is important that you check the policies and conditions of house insurance for empty houses in advance. Your house is your valuable asset, so make sure it is in safe hands!
