How Home Insurance Can Help Prepare Your Home for Vacation

June 24, 2025

Taking a vacation is the perfect opportunity to unwind. Whether you're hitting the road to explore local attractions, visiting family and friends, or escaping into nature at one of Canada’s national or provincial parks, time away can be a welcome break.

Of course, you shouldn’t have to worry about the security of your home and belongings while you're gone. With careful planning and by taking the appropriate precautions, including maintaining appropriate home insurance coverage, you can enjoy your vacation with confidence.

Here are some key practices to help safeguard your home while you're away and maintain peace of mind.

Arrange for regular home check-ins

Have a trusted friend, family member, or neighbour check on your home regularly while you're on vacation. Their physical presence at your home is quite helpful for keeping it safe. If your home appears occupied, it deters potential burglars. For instance, they can collect your mail and mow your lawn to help maintain the appearance of an occupied home.

They can also water your garden and indoor plants and ensure everything is in order. Should any unexpected issues arise, this individual can help you respond to them promptly. Of course, be sure to leave your contact details with them so they can reach you if it’s necessary.

Keep an inventory of your belongings

If someone does break into your home while you're gone, having a detailed list of your belongings can be quite helpful. You can start creating this list by taking pictures of any valuable items, such as laptops and other electronics. Once you have the photos, write a detailed description of each item. Be sure to include their replacement value and any serial numbers, if applicable.

Keeping a list of at least the valuable contents of your home can make filing an insurance claim simpler and help you recover from potential losses faster.

Secure your valuables

While you’re away from your home, you should take steps to secure your valuables. One example of what you may want to do is store important documents in a home safe or fireproof box with a key. Of course, you should keep the safe out of plain view. You may want to hide any electronics you aren’t taking with you as well, if it is possible to do so.

When you keep your valuables out of plain view, they're not as accessible to potential burglars and therefore reduce your risk of theft. This is because potential burglars may not be as likely to take more time searching your home.

Maintain a low profile on social media

It might be tempting to share beautiful photos from your vacation adventures on social media. After all, who doesn't like seeing the beautiful view after a hike in a provincial park, interesting architecture, or other tourist attractions? However, it’s best to avoid posting about your travels until you return.

Broadcasting your absence can make your home a target for burglars. This is because if they can see you’re not home and figure out where you live, they may see your home as a prime target since no one is there.

Instead, you should consider keeping a low profile online and share your memories once you’re back. If you will be away for an extended period, you may want to take photos before you leave. You can use these and schedule posts to go up while you're on vacation to help make it look like you’re still home.

Prevent water damage

If you will be on vacation for a while, such as a couple of weeks, consider taking steps to prevent water damage.

Shut off the main water supply and drain the pipes before you leave to prevent water damage from any pipes that may burst. While the risk of this is higher in the winter, burst pipes can still occur during the summer. As such, you may want to take this precaution anyway. Additionally, consider draining the pipes before you leave.

A burst pipe can cause significant damage to your home, especially if no one is home to spot it early. Installing water leak detectors can alert you to any leaks, allowing you to address the issue promptly. Even if you cannot return yourself, you can call a neighbour or other trusted individual to help. The ability to act swiftly is vital to help limit the potential damage. Additionally, conducting repairs within a reasonable period helps ensure the insurance claim is accepted.

Put bills on autopay

Even when travelling locally, you may not want to disturb your relaxation to pay your bills. Thus, if you will be on vacation when one of more of them will come due, consider putting your bills on autopay. By doing this, you don't need to worry about taking time out of your vacation to pay them. You also won’t face any late fees when you return.

Maintain adequate home insurance coverage

In many cases, having someone check on your home regularly while you’re away is enough to satisfy the obligations you may have under your home insurance policy. If you will be away for a long time, think about having a house sitter take care of your home. As they stay in your home while you're gone, you can get additional security and peace of mind.

If you are unsure about your policy's needs, talking to a licensed insurance broker can help. They can make sure you have enough home insurance coverage to meet your unique needs and protect your personal property.

Prepare your home before you leave

When you’re getting ready to leave on vacation, it’s vital to include preparing your home for your departure on your list of things to do. Compiling even a basic checklist can be quite helpful. Here are some of the common items you may wish to consider:

Shut off the main water supply and drain the pipes
Throw away food that may spoil
Empty trash cans
Ensure the oven and stove are turned off
Check that all windows and doors are locked
Disconnect electronics like the television, coffee machine, and desktop computer
Check the lights and put some on timers
Keep curtains and blinds as you normally have them when home
Adjust thermostat to vacation or “away” mode

Next steps to prepare your home for vacation

You may be an outdoor enthusiast looking to explore a new national or provincial park. Alternatively, you may travel to another city to see the cultural attractions that tourists from other countries often visit. You may even choose to embark on a multi-day road trip to see local sights. Regardless of the type of vacation you choose, following these best practices will help you enjoy your time away with the peace of mind that the contents of your home is secure.

Speaking with a knowledgeable insurance broker, such as the experts at Cowan Insurance Group, can give you confidence that your home insurance and other coverage options align with your specific needs and risk tolerance.

Enjoy your vacation!