Tips for protecting your home and car while on vacation

Travelling soon? While enjoying the excitement of packing bags and planning itineraries, it's easy to overlook some of the finer details of your home insurance policy. Understanding how to avoid potential gaps in your coverage during your getaway is an essential part of vacation planning. Since your home is probably your biggest investment, you'll want to ensure it's still financially protected against things like theft, vandalism, and water damage while you're away. Learn more about how your next vacation could impact your home insurance coverage.

• Leave a spare key with a trusted friend or neighbour.
  Have someone stop by your home daily to collect mail and flyers, to ensure that the heat inside your house is working during the cooler months, and verify that there’s no damage to your property. This person should always know how to reach you in case of an emergency.
• Set your thermostat.
  If you're going away in the winter, consider a programmable thermostat to keep a good temperature inside your home. 
• Do a clean sweep and take inventory of your home. 
  Take some time to tidy up, toss out garbage, water your plants, and secure/put away anything out in the open in your backyard like bicycles, gardening equipment, and barbecues. You should also take photos or videos of your home’s contents before you head out – it’s a simple way to keep a record of your possessions should you need to make an insurance claim.
• Have a plan for seasonal maintenance. Besides being a potential hazard, having snow build up on your property can be a tell-tale sign that no one's home. To help keep your house free from water leaks while you're away, make a plan for tackling snow removal and other seasonal maintenance tasks (like raking leaves) before you leave for your vacation.

You can be away from home as long as you'd like. However, depending on your insurance, you may need to have someone check on your home while you're gone to ensure there are no interruptions to your coverage. If you're a TD Insurance customer, you can login to My Insurance to review your policy details, or speak to a TD Insurance Advisor if you have any questions. Before you leave for a trip, it's important that you understand your policy to be sure there are no gaps in your home insurance coverage while you're away.

Maybe you're a snowbird spending the winter months in a warmer locale. Or your employer is sending you abroad for several months to help get a new branch up and running. No matter the reason, if you're planning for a longer vacation that will leave your home unoccupied for a while, it's important to reach out to your insurer and let them know about your intended absence.

Your insurer can provide guidance on any additional precautions you should take before you leave and whether there are any coverage issues you'll need to address.

Your insurer may require your home and property to be checked regularly while you're away to confirm you remain insured for specific coverage, like water damage. That's because if something happens to your home while you're on vacation, like a burst pipe for example, the resulting damage could be significantly worse if it's discovered days—or weeks!—later.

In addition, regular checks on your home can give the appearance that it's still occupied, which may reduce the risk of break-ins. And having a trusted friend or neighbour check your house daily while you're away means any potential issues or security concerns will be less likely to go unnoticed until your return. Not only will this reduce the possibility of coming back from a relaxing vacation to a big headache at home, it'll also help ensure there are no gaps in your home policy coverage.

Yes! Whether you’re planning a quick weekend at the spa or an extended European cruise, you may want to consider the following before you kick back and relax.

• Invest in smart home monitoring. Connected home security cameras can help to deter crime and alert you to hazards at home. And if you're a TD Insurance customer, you can get additional home insurance savings for having a monitored burglar, fire, or water alarm system installed in your home.
• Don’t announce your vacation plans. While it's tempting to let the world know you're taking a well-deserved trip, keep in mind that sharing too much information on social media or in emails can alert potential thieves.
• Control your lights with smart plugs or timers. Make it look like someone's home with programmable smart plugs or timers that can turn your lights on and off automatically while you're away.
• Unplug unnecessary electronics and prep smart gadgets. To help avoid electrical problems, disconnect your television, computers, sound systems, and other electronics and plug your devices into a surge protector.
• Turn off your water supply. Shutting off the main water supply (and ensuring all pipes and appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines are drained) helps reduce the potential for leaks and other plumbing mishaps while you're away.

By taking the right steps before you go, you’ll be ready to enjoy your vacation.

If you won't be taking your car with you while you're away, it's a good idea to take steps to help keep your car safe as well.

• Keep your car parked in your garage. "Out of sight, out of mind" doesn't just apply to relationships: It can be helpful for deterring car thieves too. So, if it's possible, park your car in your garage while you're away, rather than on the street.
• Remove personal documents from your car. Take any documents with personal information out of your car and store them in a safe spot in your home while you're away (but don’t forget to put them back into your car when you return!).
• Use a key fob protector. You'll want to keep your car keys someplace safe and out of sight, but consider using a key fob protector to store them too. Key fob protectors are signal-blocking storage cases that help prevent thieves from using signal-boosting technology to unlock your car.

By taking the right steps before you go, you’ll be ready to enjoy your vacation.

If you plan on driving to your destination, consider the following to ensure your vehicle—and your insurance—can keep up with your travel plans.

• Know your car Insurance policy. Read through your existing coverage to ensure that it provides everything you need to remain safely protected wherever you’re travelling. If you have auto coverage from TD Insurance, consider adding on our Grand Touring Solution® option, which provides coverage† for the rental of a replacement vehicle if you’re involved in an accident, or if your car is vandalized or stolen. You’d also be covered† for loss or damage to a rental car anywhere in Canada or the US.
• Get road ready. Visit your car mechanic and make sure all important service checks are up to date (for example, tires, oil pressure, brakes, and fluid levels). If you’re attaching a hitch or trailer to your car, check that it, and all the items inside, are secure. And it’s not a bad idea to load the maps for your destination on your GPS or mapping apps in advance. The more you know, the more you’ll feel confident on the road.

Looking for home insurance? Get a quote now, or contact a TD Insurance licenced advisor to learn more about your home coverage options.

And if you're already TD Insurance home insurance customer, be sure to download the TD Insurance app and register for MyInsurance, so you can easily review your policy details, add optional coverage, or chat with one of our advisors.

Interested in adding travel insurance? We have a range of insurance options to help protect you and your family from unexpected medical costs while away and we provide 24/7 emergency assistance. For more details or to get a quote, visit us here.