Many people see spring as a season to do some spring cleaning and house maintenance.

Brad Derksen, President of Prairie Insurance Brokers, has tips on preserving the value of your home.

"A homeowner could have a professional clean snow off the roof, clean the ice off the roof, have their gutters clear of leaves and any debris... make sure their downspouts are extended 6ft away from the house, so the water will flow away from the foundation," said Derksen.

Derksen says down spouts should be six feet away from the house

Snow around the foundation could also be removed to promote flow away from the foundation. As for the interior of the home, Derksen has a few other tips.

He said seepage and leakage are not covered under insurance, so it's a good idea to check your basement regularly for signs of moisture or water entering through foundation cracks. This allows for time to mitigate the damage before it becomes severe.

One key preventable insurance claim, Dereken notes, is a sump pump that isn't working and unable to pump water away from the foundation.

"It is a really good idea to make sure that your sump pump is in working order, and, if you do have a backup battery for it, that it's charged and ready to go in case of power failure."

He recommends having sewer backup coverage as part of one's home insurance.

"In the last couple years the insurance companies have come up with a couple of other coverages that would definitely be worth considering, and one of them is overland flooding and the other one would be groundwater damage," Derksen said.

If a person is experiencing moisture in their house, either from ice damming or moisture in the basement, Derksen recommends seeking advice from your insurance broker.

Other annual home checks could include checking the attic for leaks, insects or mould. Checking all windows for mould or moisture is also advised.

Eliminating clutter from an area can prevent safety hazards and make it easier to spot mould. Finally, checking the fence or deck for pest damage and unstable areas could be added to the spring cleaning list.