Skip to content

Don't leave your home alone this holiday season; it could cost you thousands of dollars

Don't fall victim to vacation-regret woes when you return home

BARRIE — While many are planning vacations to sunny destinations or even just weekends away with family, returning to a burglarized or damaged home will ruin any holiday memories.

Winter sees a lot of families leave their homes with just a neighbour grabbing the mail and never actually stepping into the home. A.G. Secure HomeWatch’s Carolle Hilton sees too many incidences of vacation-remorse through her company. Working for the Simcoe County area-based company that watches your home when you’re away for any amount of time, Hilton told BarrieToday that the mail-checking neighbour doesn’t cut it with your insurance company.

“Lots of people don’t realize that that insurance companies require them to have people come in and check out their home while they are away,” said Hilton. “They should check their policy and see what is required because the old way of having someone come in and grab their mail isn’t covering it.”

Home-watch companies will enter your home and not just do a walk around to make sure nothing is out place, but keep a record of the temperature and check for signs of the beginning of flooding.

“If your pipes were to freeze and damage was caused because of it, your insurance company will need a record of what the temperatures were at while you were away,” said Hilton. “There are cases where people lost thousands because they didn’t take the necessary steps involved in keeping track.”

In 2015 an 84-year-old woman from Pembroke, Ontario was left with $11,000 in flood damage when the pipes in her home burst while she was away receiving chemotherapy. The company argued that the woman had not had anyone making daily checks inside her home after the first four days of her extended absence for cancer treatment. The situation was eventually fixed but not without a lot of hassle.

Besides possible damage in the home, Hilton’s company also helps deter would-be thieves from wanting to enter your home.

“It is something to think about no matter what time of year you are away, but this time of year sees a lot of people heading for warmer weather,” said Hilton. “The main way to keep thieves’ eyes off your home is to make it look like someone is home. Burglars do not want to encounter anyone when they break-in, so having someone take care of the home while you’re away is crucial.”

Companies like A.G. Secure can arrange for someone to shovel your property and make the home look lived in. They also arrange for timers for lights and the thermostat while also making regular checks. Hilton said that the checks constantly prove to be needed, such as the case where they went to a home with a door left open.”

“The owner had a camera and it was realized that a family member who had a party there had not closed the door properly,” said Hilton. “Nothing was damaged but had we not been hired to check on the home and come when we did, it could have been worse. We checked the home on a Tuesday and they were not due home until the Saturday. Not only could someone or something enter the home, but the heat was working overtime and could have really cost a ton.”


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Shawn Gibson

About the Author: Shawn Gibson

Shawn Gibson is a staff writer based in Barrie
Read more