A Snowbird's Guide to Leaving a Saskatchewan House for the Winter
Going south for the winter means making five decisions about the house you're leaving: insurance, water, heat, who goes in, and how you come home.
Leaving for the winter is different from leaving for two weeks. The house has to look after itself through the coldest months of the year, and small problems have months to grow. Most of what you need to do comes down to five decisions, and they're easier to make in September than the week you fly out. If your house is in Regina, our page on home watch in Regina shows how someone can look after the last of them for you.
Decision one: what your insurer needs
Start here, because the answer can change every other decision. A snowbird trip is long enough to run into most rules of this kind. Saskatchewan Mutual's policy wording, for example, doesn't cover freezing damage in the heating season if you're away more than 10 consecutive days, unless a reliable person enters daily to confirm the heat, the water is shut off and all pipes and appliances are drained, or the home has a 24-hour monitored low temperature alarm.
Your policy may say something different, so phone your insurer or broker and tell them the dates you'll be gone. Ask whether winter changes the rule, and get the answer in writing if you can. Our article on how often someone should check an empty house lists what to ask. Your travel medical cover is a separate conversation with a separate policy, so don't assume one call settles both.
Decision two: water on or water off
Shutting off the main and draining the lines removes most of the risk of a burst pipe, because there's little water left to freeze or run. It takes some work. You open the faucets, flush the toilets, and add non-toxic antifreeze to the toilet tanks and bowls. Outdoor hoses get disconnected and drained in either case. If you've never done this, have a plumber do it the first year and watch how it goes.
Some people keep the water on, because of a boiler, a humidifier or a house they simply don't want to drain. That choice leans harder on the furnace and on someone going in. Whichever you pick, tell your insurer and whoever is checking the house.
Decision three: how you'll keep the heat on
Don't turn the heat off to save money. Our winter vacation checklist suggests a thermostat setting of 13°C (55°F) or higher, and your insurer may have its own number. Have the furnace inspected and the filter replaced before you go. A thermostat you can read from your phone lets you see the temperature from Arizona, though it can't fix anything, so you still need someone nearby who can get inside.
The reason for all this is the climate. Environment and Climate Change Canada's climate normals for 1981 to 2010 show an average January overnight low of about minus 20°C at Regina's airport and about minus 21°C at Saskatoon's. Regina sees 43 nights a year below minus 20°C, and Saskatoon sees 47.
Decision four: who goes in
This is the decision people leave too late. You have three real options.
Family or a neighbour. This costs little and can work well, as long as they'll keep going in through a long winter, including the weeks they're away too. Agree on how often and what to check, and make sure they know where the water shutoff is. Ask your insurer whether a neighbour's visits are enough for your policy.
A house sitter. Someone lives in the house while you're gone. This suits you if you have pets that need someone there. Our comparison of house sitting and home watch goes through the trade-offs.
A home watch service. Someone visits on a schedule, goes through the house and reports back. Nobody moves in. At Peggy's, four months on the weekly package comes to $876 before GST, and the other schedules are on our pricing page. If your insurer asks for a daily check, tell us, because daily visits are priced by quote.
Whoever you choose, give them a key or an access code, your travel dates, a way to reach you in another time zone, and the name of a furnace company and a plumber. Decide ahead of time how much they can approve without you.
Decision five: how you'll come home
It's easy to forget that the house also has to be ready for you. If the water was off, someone has to turn it back on and watch for leaks before you unpack. A house kept at 13°C takes a while to warm up, and the fridge will be empty. We can tidy up, turn the heat up and stock the fridge before you land if you ask us to. Family can do the same if you give them a date.
The last week before you go
With those decisions made, the final week is mostly small jobs. Clear out the fridge and pantry, empty the garbage, hold the mail or arrange for someone to collect it, set the light timers, and arrange snow removal so someone can reach the door. Regina owners can use our Regina winter checklist to go through the steps in order.
If you'd like someone to take on decision four, tell us your dates. We do house checks in Regina and house checks in Saskatoon, and you'll get a report after every visit while you're away.
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