4 Ways to Protect a Vacant House

There are more reasons that a house could be left vacant than you might expect. You could be faced with a vacant house if:

• You move to a new home while your old home is still up for sale.
• You’re responsible for a family member’s house after their death.
• You’re in your primary home and no one is staying in your second home.
• You have a rental property that’s unoccupied while you’re finding new tenants.

Whether you're leaving for the long term or making a second home secure, follow this guide to help keep your property safe. 

A Farm Bureau agent can review your coverage and make sure you have the protection you need. 

Take Steps to Protect Vacant Property

These tips can help you keep your home safe when it’s unoccupied.

1. Make It Look Like Someone Lives There

You don’t want a home to look abandoned. Keep up with outdoor maintenance like cutting the grass, pulling weeds, trimming bushes and shoveling snow. To prevent an overflowing mailbox, make sure any mail is forwarded or picked up regularly. Also, put inside lights on timers so they go on and off, and use motion-sensing lights on the exterior of the home.

2. Consider Vacant or Empty Property Security

Visit the home regularly to check for any issues. If that’s not an option, see if a neighbor or friend can keep an eye on the property.

You may want to hire a home watch/house check service. With these services, an inspector comes to your property regularly to walk through the inside and around the outside, checking for issues or damage. They can also make sure your systems are working properly and that your doors and windows are secure.

3. Think About Whether You Need a Property Manager

Depending on how long a home will be vacant, you may want to hire a short-term rental company or property management company to help you find a tenant and handle the responsibilities of a rental property. Having a tenant means your property is occupied, and you can also generate some income that could help cover expenses like taxes, mortgage payments and utilities.

Managing rental property can be a lot of work. Hiring someone means they can communicate with tenants, handle cleaning and maintenance and make sure payments are received.

4. Check Your Homeowners Insurance Coverage

Homeowners insurance policies aren’t designed for vacant homes. They’re intended for homes that are occupied most of the time or part time if it’s a seasonal or secondary home. Vacant homes can be at higher risk for certain problems. For example, they might be more likely to be broken into. Also, if something happens, like a water leak, a lot of damage could happen before anyone notices.

Your policy may not pay for damage in certain situations if your home hasn’t been occupied for a period of time, depending on what is listed in your policy.

Your coverage could vary based on whether your home is considered vacant or unoccupied, though not all policies differentiate between them:

• Vacant: Almost or completely empty and utilities may be turned off.
• Unoccupied: Furnished so someone could live there, with utilities connected.

Work With an Agent to Make Sure Your Property Is Protected

When you’re securing vacant property, you don’t want to make any costly mistakes. Reach out to Farm Bureau for guidance on the coverage you need.