Insure Your Home Away from Home and Enjoy Peace of Mind
So you finally have your peaceful retreat in the country – the perfect place to recharge your batteries.
Whether it’s an elegant villa or a basic cabin, did you know that seasonal dwellings have specific insurance needs?
The amount of insurance coverage you need will depend on how much time you spend there and the value of the building and contents; that's why it’s important to have made-to-measure protection.
Which type of insurance is right for you?
Generally speaking, “all-risk” insurance is recommended for main residences and “named perils” for seasonal dwellings. Obviously, the recommended insurance coverage isn’t the same for a cottage that’s used every weekend all year long as for a cabin that’s only used for a few weeks in the summer.
Seasonal dwellings that are used less often will be covered against basic risks listed in the policy, including lightning, fire, hail and windstorms.
But if you use your cottage on a weekly basis, you may want to opt for more comprehensive “all-risk” coverage. With this type of insurance, all risks that are not specifically excluded under the policy are automatically covered. It's best to take the time to learn about these different types of insurance!
Personal property: temporarily or permanently on the premises?
In order to accurately determine how much insurance you need for the contents of your seasonal dwelling, it’s important to distinguish between the items that are on the premises temporarily and those that are kept there permanently. The former are covered under the insurance policy for your main residence, and the latter under the insurance policy for your seasonal dwelling. We recommend purchasing insurance for your seasonal dwelling from the same company that insures your main residence. If you have to file a claim for damage to personal property, it will be easier to deal with a single insurer than to have to split the claim between two companies.
Never too rustic to insure
Even if your vacation retreat is the most basic cabin around, even if it's a small investment and you don't keep any valuables there, liability coverage is essential – just in case. If someone is injured on your property, if your campfire spreads to surrounding properties, or if a shingle from your roof blows off and damages a neighbour’s property, liability protection will be a huge help.
It's best to take the time to find out what insurance coverage you need to prevent your peaceful haven from becoming a source of stress. On that note, enjoy the summer!
Closing up for the winter
Seasonal dwellings that aren't used during the winter months usually don’t have coverage against frozen pipes. To avoid a worst-case scenario, drain all the pipes, the water heater, fixtures and appliances before the winter. In addition, the S-traps found under plumbing appliances should be filled with an antifreeze product specifically designed for pipes.
What about the risk of theft?
Did you know that if you have a “named perils” policy for your seasonal dwelling, burglary usually isn’t covered? Good to know, right? We strongly recommend adding separate protection to your policy to cover burglary (theft with visible signs of entry or exit on the building), vandalism and glass breakage. At Desjardins, this additional protection is called Endorsement 31.