photo credit: Alex E. Proimos
Do you own a Chicago rental or have you recently moved out of your Chicago home? If so, you may want to check with your insurance agent about what you should do to secure your home. Some homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover damages on properties that have been vacated for over thirty days.
This is especially important if the home you are listing is a short sale since the bank will likely not pay the extra cost of vacant home insurance, and you could be liable for any damages occurring while the property is vacant.
Some simple steps you can take to deter thieves and vandals include placing signage that implies occupancy or make daily home inspections part of your routine. You could even offer your parking space to a neighbor to make it seem as though someone is living at the home. As always, timed lighting, motion detecting lights and alarms are also great deterrents. Hopefully these steps and a little extra knowledge will go a long way in protecting your Chicago home.
