Homeowners are being reminded to take steps to keep their homes safe this holiday season. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Holiday safety

Those leaving home for the holidays urged to take precautions

Dec 9, 2019 | 1:10 PM

People leaving their homes to travel for the holidays are being reminded to take some steps to make sure their home is safe.

Rebecca Eckdahl, a broker at Prince Albert Insurance, explained it is important homeowners make sure their home looks lived in while they are away.

“You don’t want to make your home a target, so lights on it are kind of key. You can even get them put on a timer,” she said.

Homeowners should also make sure they have someone who is trustworthy looking in on their house while they are away. Eckdahl added it is important mail is not allowed to pile up, along with making sure to keep sidewalks and driveways clear.

Eckdahl said people should also be sure they take precautions to protect their vehicles as well.

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“If you are travelling don’t leave valuables in your vehicle, because they are definitely a target,” she said.

Eckdahl said around the holiday season they tend to get some more claims, with a number of them being related to thefts from vehicles.

While the most important threat homeowners need to protect themselves from is theft, Eckdahl said people need to remember to take precautions when it comes to their furnace and home heating.

“It needs to be checked every day, by someone who’s trustworthy, or it has to have an alarm system that has a low temperature signal that would be responded to,” she said.

If people don’t take steps to monitor their home and something happens, they may not be covered by their homeowner’s insurance. Eckdahl said cases like this are rare, but do and have happened.

Eckdahl added they also recommend people who are heading out on the road make sure to keep some safety tips in mind too. Specifically, making sure to keep a kit in their vehicle which includes a shovel blankets and flares or flashlights just in case they get stranded.

“Just stay safe on the road as well,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn