safehomemanagmentEmpty Home Insurance? You Need Home Watch Services in South Florida
Updated: Apr 2
Your South Florida vacation property is your home away from home—in paradise! However, short of stopping time and the elements, your South Florida vacation property is vulnerable to harm that could take place while you're away. The company that provides your homeowner's insurance knows this and is concerned about the safety of your vacation property, too. Without a watchful eye available to help protect your property, it's subject to damage—whether from weather-related perils or vandalism. That's an expensive problem for you and your insurance company—even with empty home insurance.
When you're away from your slice of paradise for 60 days or more, your home might be considered unoccupied by your insurance provider—and void your homeowner's insurance!
Here's why every South Florida vacation property needs more than house sitting services to qualify for many empty home insurance policies to stay protected.
Is It "Vacant" or "Unoccupied?"
If you don't use your South Florida property for 60 days at a time (or longer), many insurance companies consider this "unoccupied" or "vacant." Most often, vacation homes fall under the category of "unoccupied."
A "vacant" home is empty of all personal belongings.
An "unoccupied" home is ready for owners to return for vacation or short-term living. You leave furniture and creature comforts in your South Florida vacation home so that it's primed for your next getaway!
In both cases, most standard homeowner's policies don't cover a property that's empty for 30–60 days or longer. This is a common issue we often see here as a South Florida Safe home watch services provider due to the large population of vacation homeowners in SFL. Your full-time life is on the mainland, and your vacation property waits patiently for you to enjoy it throughout the year. While it waits, it can be a target for vandalism (including squatting) or suffer damage from weather and South Florida elements. Many insurance companies require empty home insurance to cover your vacation property in South Florida while you're away for extended lengths of time. It's a unique coverage that carries certain requirements compared to the homeowner's coverage on your home.
Why Do You Need Empty Home Insurance Coverage?
Your South Florida vacation home insurance policy is specific to its status as a "vacation" home.
It's not your full-time residence, so the policy offers coverage as a part-time residence.
Empty home insurance picks up where vacation home insurance leaves off.
Many local insurance companies require a South Florida home watch service to keep an eye on your property while you're away as a stipulation of your coverage.
Here's an example: If you don't have empty home insurance and your property is the victim of vandalism or a robbery while you're away, you're responsible for the cost of repairs. When you have coverage for your unoccupied property, your insurance company covers the majority of the repair costs. Without a professional home watch service in South Florida, your insurance company isn't comfortable providing coverage for your home in South Florida. Damage from the weather can turn into significant, expensive repairs if no one notices there's a problem for a while. When your insurance provider knows you have professionals routinely inspecting your property, they know your vacation home is in good hands while you're away from South Florida.
Why a South Florida Home Watch Service?
Can't a neighbor just keep an eye on your property? It's inexpensive—and you have excellent neighbors! That's probably true, but they won't help you qualify for empty home insurance. You need a professional service that schedules regular inspections for the duration of your time away from South Florida. A home watch provider in South Florida is superior to a house sitting service or the watchful eye of your very best neighbor! However, what makes them the right choice to protect your South Florida vacation home?
An expert home watch service in SFL:
Schedules weekly or twice-monthly property inspections: This inspection is more than a simple drive-by! Your professional South Florida home watch provider will walk the exterior of your property and look for broken windows or doors. They check for damage to siding, outdoor furniture, and your roof. They also walk the interior of your property to check for water leaks, HVAC temperature controls, signs of squatting, and pest activity.
Provides detailed reports and photos of your South Florida property: Each inspection ends with a report about the condition of your property, along with pictures for your records.
Reports problems right away: If your Home Watch Professional in South Florida notices vandalism or weather damage, they call the police—and report it to you, too. At Safe Home Management, we address damage and criminal activity right away to avoid the expensive problems that come with delays.
With a professional Home Watch company in South Florida, your insurance company has a point of contact right here in South Florida! Your chosen Safe home watch service can work with your insurance company to assess the damage and schedule repairs—so your South Florida vacation home is back in perfect condition before your next trip to South Florida. The point of your vacation home is to relax and leave your problems behind —not have to deal with trouble in paradise!
Safe Home Watch Services Help Improve Your Insurance Coverage!
Professional Safe home management watch services in South Florida help provide peace of mind for you and your insurance company. Safe Home Watch has a thorough and experienced approach to your home inspections while you're away from South Florida. A house sitter or neighbor can't provide the same peace of mind! You need a local home watch service with professional property experience: protecting your South Florida Dream.
Browse through our blog page for other interesting tips on keeping your South Florida vacation home safe!