Protecting a Vacant or Second Home Through the Winter

A heated, lived-in home tends to have better odds of escaping winter relatively unscathed, barring a hot chocolate stain here or there. A second home that sits empty is another matter. While you’re away, a pipe might freeze, split, and leak for days, and the damage often shows up only after the thaw.

Winterizing a vacant home is an important part of maintaining your second home, particularly if it’s in a cooler climate. At a high level, there are a few major areas of concern: how you’ll handle the water and heat, how you’ll close up the exterior, who will check in while you’re away, and what your insurance policy expects of you. This guide covers each one and ends with a vacant home winter checklist you can reuse as a starting point for every season.

What Winterizing a Vacant Home Involves

Winterizing means preparing a property to sit empty through cold weather, so freezing, leaks, pests, and storm damage are less likely. For a second home or vacation home, that preparation matters a lot because usually, no one is there to notice a problem early.

Water is one of the main concerns. Frozen water expands and can crack a pipe, and a burst pipe can release significant amounts of water in just a short period. In an empty house, that can run until someone happens by. Water damage and freezing rank among the most common homeowners insurance claims, according to Triple-I, the Insurance Information Institute.

How to Winterize a Vacant House: Start With the Water

Your plumbing plan usually follows from one question: will the heat stay on?

If the Heat Stays On

• A common recommendation is to set the thermostat to no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the appropriate setting depends on your home’s insulation, plumbing and local temperatures.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks, especially along exterior walls, so warm air can reach the pipes.
• Insulate pipes in attics, crawl spaces, garages, and other unheated areas.

Again, it may be good to treat 55 degrees as a baseline; consider asking a local professional for a more concrete recommendation for your home. Extreme cold or uninsulated pipes in exterior walls can still freeze with the heat on. Some owners also close the main water valve whenever they leave, which can reduce the chance of broken pipes.

If the Heat Will Be Off or Set Very Low

• Shut off the main water valve and drain the system. Open faucets, flush toilets, and shut down the water heater and any pumps or water softeners.
• Ask a plumber whether adding non-toxic plumbing antifreeze to toilets and drains makes sense for your home.

A plumber may have other helpful suggestions as you look to winterize your second home this winter.

Two Cautions That Apply Either Way

Don’t shut off water to a fire sprinkler system. If the home has an older steam heating system, check with a heating professional before closing the main valve. Outside, disconnect hoses, shut off exterior faucets and drain irrigation lines, and backflow preventers.

Winterizing a Second Home: Heat, Power and Appliances

The systems that keep a house comfortable may also cause trouble when no one is watching them. A few steps before you leave help:

• Service the furnace or boiler before the season starts, so it’s running well while you’re gone.
• Unplug appliances and electronics you don’t need running. That lowers fire risk and trims energy use.
• Clear out food, including canned goods, which can freeze and burst in a cold house. Food left behind can also invite pests.
• Close the fireplace flue, so rain, snow, and animals stay out.
• Keep the alarm system powered, so it keeps doing its job.

Seal Up the Exterior Before the Snow Arrives

Weather and wildlife tend to find the same openings in a home. Walk the outside of the property and look for these:

• Gutters and downspouts. Clear debris so water doesn’t back up, form ice dams, or collect near the foundation.
• Gaps and openings. Seal cracks around the foundation, roofline, doors, windows, and pipes to keep out rodents and insects.
• Crawl space vents. Ask a local contractor whether your crawl space vents need seasonal adjustments. The right approach depends on your home’s design and climate.
• Tree branches. Trim limbs near the roof, since heavy snow and ice can weigh down weak branches.
• Windows and doors. Lock them and pull blinds or curtains closed.

Winterizing a Vacation Home: Plan for Remote Monitoring

Distance is the hardest part of owning a seasonal property, so build a small system for keeping tabs on it.

Line up a trusted person. Ask a neighbor, friend, or relative to check the home regularly and give them access so they can look at the heating, electrical, and water systems. Share your phone number, the location of the water shutoff, your insurance provider, and the alarm code.

Use technology where it helps. A smart thermostat can hold a set temperature and be adjusted from your phone. Monitoring apps, cameras, or alarm alerts can notify you of changes at the property.

Make the home look lived-in. Put lights on timers, forward your mail, and pause deliveries. You may want to skip social media posts about your travel plans and even consider letting local police know the home will be vacant along with an emergency contact number.

Check Your Insurance Terms Before You Leave

Insurers distinguish between an unoccupied home, where belongings remain but no one is staying, and a vacant home, where the resident has moved out and taken their belongings. Definitions vary by policy, and some policies limit or stop paying certain claims after a home has been vacant or unoccupied for a certain period of consecutive days. A policy can also expect you to keep the heat on, sometimes at a stated temperature.

Before you leave, call your insurance agent and ask:

• How does the policy define vacant and unoccupied for a second home?
• How long can the home remain unoccupied?
• Are there heat or inspection requirements while I’m away?
• Would a vacancy endorsement or separate policy make sense?
• Does renting the home occasionally affect my coverage?

Taking photos or a short video of the home and your belongings before you go can also help if you ever need to file a claim.

Vacant Home Winter Checklist

Before You Leave

• Set your water plan: heat at 55 degrees or higher, shut off and drain, or consult with a professional for other guidance.
• Disconnect hoses and drain irrigation lines.
• Clear gutters, seal gaps, and trim branches.
• Unplug appliances, clear out food, and close the flue.
• Confirm your insurance terms.

While You’re Away

• Have your check-in person visit on a set schedule.
• Monitor the temperature remotely.
• Keep mail and deliveries under control.

When You Return

• Restore your heating system according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the pilot light needs to be relit and you’re unsure how to proceed, contact a qualified professional.
• Restore water slowly, then check faucets, fixtures, and exposed pipes for leaks.

Final Thoughts on Winterizing a Second Home

A second home can be a big source of joy and happy memories when in use. But in the months between, winterizing an unoccupied home can be important. Much of the work could potentially get taken care of in an afternoon before you leave. The rest is, ideally, more periodic check-ins.

Details such as draining a system or servicing a boiler depend on your home and your climate, so a local plumber or heating professional is a good person to ask. In the meantime, save the checklist, adjust it for your property, and revisit it each fall.