Own a house or a condo? Here are some tips for stopping damage before it happens.

Most people spend more money on where they live than any other purchase. Whether you own a house or a condo, it just makes sense to make sure you’re doing everything you can to protect your investment from potential damage. Making sure you have the right insurance is part of that but condo and home insurance policies won’t necessarily protect you from issues that arise due to lack of general maintenance.

8 top tips for preventing or reducing damage in your home or condo:

1. Never leave a running dishwasher or washing machine unattended. Seriously. Don’t do it.
2. Never flush anything but what’s meant to be flushed down your toilets. No evidence, no toys…just no.
3. Take the time to look at your appliance waterlines in your house– think dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, coffee maker…rubber hoses only last about 3-5 years and reinforced braided hoses only 5-10 years.
4. Check your caulking and water seals. And if they are cracked or deteriorated get busy replacing! You’ll want to check doors, windows, anything that bridges between inside and outside, bathtubs, showers, faucets, and toilets.
5. Know where the shut off valves are for all major sources of water and use them in case of any water emergency to stop water flow.
6. Never turn your thermostat below 16 degrees Celsius.
7. Check your toilet for external leaks around the tank, bowl and floor.
8. Don’t leave windows open during cold temperatures.

These tips are especially important for condo unit owners in light of the new legislation that allows for condo boards to pass along up to $50,000 in insurance deductible costs to a unit holder if damage is shown to originate in their unit. If you’d like to talk to an insurance executive about your home or condo insurance, we’d love to help.