Top home safety tips while you are away on holiday

Ready for that end of year break? The past few years haven’t been the easiest for South Africans, so it’s only natural that you’re looking forward to spending quality time with friends and family and forgetting about work for a while. Perhaps you’re planning a laid-back staycation at home or taking a trip to your favourite holiday destination. Whichever option you choose, you deserve to have peace of mind that your home and belongings are safe and secure while you’re finally getting to unwind. Here are a few tips you can integrate into your holiday preparation for added peace of mind!

Create a plan to look after your pets 

If you have pets, you’ll want to make sure they’re well looked after while you’re away. Depending on their temperament, size and needs, you can have someone visit your home to check in on them or book them into pet lodgings. If you plan to keep your pets at your home or will be away for a long time, it could be a good idea to hire a house sitter to stay on your property while you’re away. A house that appears active and busy can deter potential intruders and keep your pets away from potential threats.

Get to know your neighbours 

Living the busy lifestyles that we do, it’s understandable that you might not know your neighbours well or at all. Getting to know them can be mutually beneficial, as nobody is better placed to detect if something is amiss in your home than the person next door to you. If you’re going on holiday over a certain period and your neighbour isn’t, you can arrange for them to collect your mail and keep an eye on your property. You can then return the favour when they go on holiday.

Test your home security system 

If you have a home security system that’s never been triggered before, you should test before you leave on holiday. This can help you detect if anything is amiss with it, so that you can resolve it. For example, you can contact your security company to request this and have them talk you through how your system works and what triggers an alarm. Should someone try to access your property while you’re away, you can rest assured that they’ll be apprehended before they have a chance to enter your home. It’s also advisable that you also choose a security system that can run with a battery or backup power source. This will keep your home protected during power outages.

Use a safe for valuable items 

Your home can contain many high-value items that can be attractive to criminals including expensive camera equipment, diamond jewellery or artwork. If you aren’t taking these items with you, creating a dedicated and secure storage area for them is advisable. If the item is particularly valuable, you might want to consider handing it over to a specialised security company or bank that can protect it for you. These added steps will protect your most treasured possessions and ensure that if you do get robbed, your insurers are more likely to honour your claim.

Get a remote surveillance system

Surveillance technology has become more sophisticated and user-friendly than ever before. It means that it’s easy and affordable to purchase and set up your own home surveillance system and access it remotely. While this option isn’t a replacement for an externally managed home security system, it can give you peace of mind and allow you to check in on your property from time to time. It can also prevent anyone from accidentally triggering your alarm and allow you to communicate with visitors to your property. For example, you could receive an earlier-than-expected delivery of an online order while you’re away. An IP camera and communication system can notify you of this, so you can tell the delivery driver when to return with your package.

Be discreet on social media 

Social media is a fun tool that allows us to share our lives and experiences with others. Unfortunately, not everyone with access to your social media accounts has your best interests in mind. If you’re planning on going away or ‘checking in’ at various holiday destinations, you can accidentally communicate private information to strangers including the fact that you’re not at home and won’t be for some time. If you plan to document your holiday, it’s a good idea to keep your social media profiles private or restricted to close friends and family only.

Update your home and property insurance

In an ideal world, crime wouldn’t exist or would be incredibly rare. Until we live in such a world, having a robust and up-to-date home and property insurance policy can go a long way towards setting your mind at ease and ensuring you don’t suffer any losses. When insuring your home contents, it’s easy to forget to notify your insurers of changes such as new purchases or replacements. Taking stock of any changes to your home’s structure or belongings and making sure your insurer knows about it will help you get the most out of your coverage.

Create a checklist 

Preparing for a holiday can be overwhelming and the closer you get to your departure date, the easier it gets for you to forget to do something important. As you start counting down to your holiday you can create a checklist of things you need to do, including the above activities that can keep your home safe while you’re away. This will help keep you organised and ensure you can depart on holiday without any last-minute doubts or complications.

Taking steps to secure your home is as important a part of your holiday preparation as booking tickets or buying a new bikini. After all, nothing can compare to the peace of mind you’ll enjoy knowing that you’ve done everything necessary to keep your property safe until you return. While SA Home Loans can’t perform these tasks for you, we can help you secure financing for a home or address any questions you have about the process. For more information, contact our team today.