The holidays fill our homes with decorations, guests, packages, and gifts. They also bring some of the biggest risks of the year for homeowners and renters, from holiday fires to frozen pipes to stolen deliveries. A few simple steps, and a quick look at your policy, can help protect your home and everything in it this season.

Decorate Safely

Christmas trees, candles, and holiday lights add warmth to the season, but they also increase the risk of home fires. Keep your home safe with a few habits:

• Keep live trees watered, since dry trees catch fire much more easily
• Place trees and decorations away from fireplaces, heaters, and candles
• Check light strands for frayed wires or broken sockets before using them
• Don’t overload outlets or extension cords
• Turn off lights and blow out candles before leaving home or going to bed
• Test your smoke detectors

Homeowners and renters policies generally cover fire damage, but preventing a fire is always better than filing a claim.

Protect Your Packages

With so much holiday shopping done online, package theft from porches rises every December. Your homeowners or renters policy may cover stolen items, but the value of one package is often less than your deductible, which means filing a claim may not make sense.

A few ways to reduce the risk:

• Track deliveries and bring packages inside quickly
• Ship to your workplace or a secure pickup location
• Require a signature for valuable items
• Ask a neighbor to grab packages while you’re away

Make Sure New Valuables Are Covered

December is one of the most popular times of year for engagements, and many families give jewelry, electronics, and other valuable gifts. Standard homeowners and renters policies often have limits on how much they’ll pay for certain items, such as jewelry, if they’re lost or stolen.

If you give or receive something valuable this season, ask your agent whether it’s fully covered. AGCU Insurance offers valuable items coverage that can help protect things like engagement rings, jewelry, and other high-value items.

Update Your Home Inventory

New gifts are a good reason to update your home inventory. Take photos or video of each room, record serial numbers for electronics, and save receipts. Store your inventory somewhere outside your home, such as in cloud storage, so it’s available if you ever need to file a claim.

Prevent Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes can burst and cause serious water damage, especially if you’re away visiting family. Before you travel:

• Keep your thermostat set to a safe temperature, even when you’re gone
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air can reach the pipes
• Disconnect outdoor hoses and insulate exposed pipes
• Know where your main water shutoff is
• Ask someone to check on your home if you’ll be away for several days

Hosting Guests? Think About Liability

If a guest slips on an icy sidewalk or gets hurt in your home, your homeowners or renters policy may include liability coverage that helps with costs. Keep walkways clear of snow and ice, light your entryways, and keep stairs free of clutter. If you host often or have significant assets, ask your agent whether your liability limits are high enough.

Renters Need Coverage Too

A landlord’s insurance generally covers the building, not your belongings. Renters insurance can help protect your furniture, electronics, clothing, and gifts from covered losses like fire and theft, and it often includes liability coverage too. It’s usually an affordable way to protect everything you own.

Start the New Year With a Coverage Checkup

AGCU Insurance offers more than 20 types of coverage, including home, condo, renters, landlord, valuable items, and flood, along with multi-policy and other discounts. Free coverage checkups can help you make sure your policy keeps up with your life. If you live in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Texas, request a quote, call 866-508-2428 or 417-447-9356, or email insurance@agcu.org. Outside those states, visit the AGCU InsuranceAisle website or call 866-397-4086.

Traveling for the holidays? Also see our holiday travel auto insurance checklist.

This article is for general information only. Coverage depends on your policy and state. Talk with a licensed insurance agent about your specific coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does homeowners insurance cover stolen packages?

Your homeowners or renters policy may cover stolen packages, but the value is often less than your deductible. Preventing theft is usually the best approach.

Is my engagement ring covered by homeowners insurance?

Standard policies often limit how much they’ll pay for jewelry. Valuable items coverage can help protect engagement rings and other high-value items for their full value.

Does homeowners insurance cover frozen pipes?

Sudden damage from a burst pipe is often covered, but damage caused by neglect, such as leaving a home unheated, may not be. Check your policy and take steps to prevent freezing.

Do renters need insurance for holiday gifts?

Yes. A landlord’s insurance generally doesn’t cover your belongings. Renters insurance can help protect gifts and other personal property from covered losses.