House Insurance for Vacant Properties

Insurance companies don't like to write policies on vacant properties.  In fact your policy may specifically exclude coverage if you home is vacant for a specified number of days, often 30 or 60 days.  If there is no one in your home, the risk increase for the company.  If damage occurs to the house, there will be no one there to report and mitigate the damage.  

"A typical insurance company would not issue a policy at all knowing that it's [the property] vacant," said Chris Hackett, director of personal lines for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. Unoccupied homes present a greater risk for theft, vandalism, malicious mischief and fire, among other concerns.

"From an insurer's perspective, vacancy is considered a substantial increase in risk," said Hackett. "If, for example, a pipe breaks and it's vacant, it can be days or weeks before it's discovered."

from article:  As Number of Vacant Homes Rises, Insurers See Opportunities at InsuranceNews.net

If you find yourself needing to insure a home that has been on the market for a long time, or for another reason you anticipate may be vacant for a while, you should investigate getting house insurance quotes from companies that specializes in vacant property insurance.