2012 is flying by and the holiday season is already upon us. For many of us, it's an extremely hectic time. A shopping frenzied population and everyone traveling about the country make for a crazy climax to the year. With all the hustle and bustle, many forget to do some essential things to protect their homes. Now many of the perils of the holiday season are covered under your homeowner's insurance policy, but who wants their holiday interrupted with a need to make a claim? Below are 3 holiday perils your homeowner's insurance would probably cover, but could be avoided.
1. Frozen Plumbing. From New York to Las Vegas, frozen plumbing can cause havoc. This can be easily avoided. Water freezes when heat in the water is transferred to subfreezing air. The best way to keep water in pipes from freezing is to slow or stop this transfer of heat. The best way to insure this is to keep pipes inside where it is nice and cozy. For those of us in the Southwest, this might not be practical. Insulation sleeves or wrapping for exposed pipes is less ideal, but can be an effective solution.
2. Fire. While I am a big believer in having a real Christmas tree in my home, I realize that this is a real danger. Christmas trees can catch fire rather quickly if they have been out for a while. With something so flammable in your home, make sure your electrical outlets are not over worked. A surge protector can also be extremely important to make sure an electrical fire does not occur.
3. Theft. Many of us travel for the holidays and that leaves your home vulnerable to theft. If "Home Alone" taught us anything, it is that bad guys are watching and waiting for you to leave for a week or two so they can have free reign on your home. There are a variety of things you can do to protect your home. Putting your lights and televisions on timers is one cleaver way to make it look like you are still home. A centrally monitored alarm can also dissuade bad guys from targeting your home. If you have trustworthy neighbors, informing them that you are away can also provide extra protection.
While hectic, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. Time spent with family and friends is always time well spent. Make sure you don't have this wonderful time interrupted with the hassles of a claim on your homeowner's insurance. Follow the 3 suggestions above and you'll be able to avoid some of the most common holiday mishaps.
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