Expatriates That Need Vacant Home Insurance May Also Need the Following

We are contacted by hundreds of expatriates a month, leaving their home country to take an international assignment for their employer. Those that call about vacant home insurance may also need the following personal insurance that is not typically provided by the employer unlike international medical insurance and international workers compensation insurance and other things that are provided by the employer.

First on the list is international property insurance. Personal effects and possessions taken into the host country are not covered by an employer's commercial policy. Furniture, clothing, ipod, and even the kid's toys needs to be protected globally and in the host country from fire, theft, vandalism, smoke, flood, etc. If a fire comes and your are out $100,000 don't expect the employer to step into the rescue. There are both legal and tax reasons why they cannot.

International personal liability needs to be purchased by the expatriate before the international assignment as well. This is basically "net worth protection" for the family as they live outside the home country. Although the incidence of lawsuit outside of the U.S. is lower than it is in the U.S., this coverage is still essential. One can cause damages for a variety of reasons that are not related to the work assignment. If not directly related to "work" the employer would not be able to step in and cover these personal lawsuits or damage awards. Good policies here also cover the legal fees in the host country and provide "trip" coverage back in the U.S.

Home country plans or vacant homeowners insurance in the U.S. only covers the dwelling. These policies would not cover the personal insurance needs of expatriates living abroad and separate arrangements need to be made past vacant home insurance.

Vacant Home Insurance Winter Checklist

As a final reminder to clients for the winter season, please make sure you are aware of all of the following regarding your vacant homeowners insurance or vacant condo insurance for the winter season.

1. Make sure the heat is on and set to at least 60 degrees or warmer.
2. Make sure the home is visited inside, at least once a week. Although the heat in the vacant condo or house could be on, boilers may not fire and heaters can break. Pipes can freeze in as little as 48 hours.
3. Make sure the water (at the main valve) is shut off. A water leak where the water could have easily been turned off, and where the underwriters have not approved that the water could remain on in the vacant home, can become a denied vacant homeowner's insurance claim.
4. Make sure snow and ice is cleared. You can be sued if someone is hurt and you did not keep up on the house with basic care and maintenance like snow removal.
5. Make sure pools and hot tubs are fenced and covered.
6. In lieu of keeping the heat on, the water pipes should be professionally drained of all water.

This is our winter 2010 - 2011 checklist for vacant home insurance and vacant condo insurance.

Largest Winter Claim for Vacant Homeowners Insurance

Now that we are quickly into the winter months, we would like to remind Vacant Home Insurance Now clients that the number 1 claim in the winter for many States is frozen pipes for vacant or empty homes.

All clients with vacant home insurance are not only expected to visit the property (or have someone visit) 4 times a month or more, but either the heat must be left on or the pipes need to be totally removed of water so they do not freeze.

If heaters in the home are left on they need to be checked. Oil burners can find dead spots and not "light" leaving the temperature in the home to drop. In some States, a home without heat can have frozen and burst pipes in under 48 hours. Those with vacant home insurance would only have coverage for this claim if they took the proper care and could demonstrate they had left the heat at 58 or above, and had someone or a property management service regular check the property to keep the vacant homeowners insurance valid.

Neglect is a reason to deny a claim and frozen pipes can easily cause over $25,000 in damage.

Of course, those with vacant home insurance should have the main water supply off whether the pipes are drained of water or not, and this helps control damage if pipes freeze.