Holiday warning for South African homeowners
December sees many homeowners go on holiday trips, but there are potential risks to their properties as they are unoccupied for extensive periods.
Unforeseen property damage from burst geysers, power surges, or theft is possible during the festive season.
“It is unfortunate that this time of the year tends to expose homeowners to opportunistic break-ins and, in some instances, delays on the reporting of incidents to the police and insurers”, said the South African Insurance Association’s (SAIA’s) Themba Palagangwe.
Thus, the SAIA said that consumers should take reasonable measures to protect their properties from unforeseen events during the festive season.
This includes doing necessary maintenance checks on the property items, such as the geysers and electrical works and increasing security measures.
The SAIA gave the following tips for keeping a property safe during the holiday season:
- “Inform your security company and/or neighbours that you will be travelling so that they can be on the lookout for any unusual activities around your property.
- Ensure that all used electrical plugs and the geyser are switched off while you are away.
- Consider having a house sitter or installing a timer to switch lights off in the mornings and on in the evenings.
- Avoid loading your vehicle with your travelling luggage in full view of the street, as you may not know who may be watching.
- Call the newspaper company and stop all newspaper deliveries to your home or ask your neighbours to collect all mail delivered while you are away.
- Keep your yard or grounds free of equipment that may aid criminals, such as ladders.”
Consumers are also warned that certain behaviors may increase the risk to their properties, such as social pots.
“To further protect your property, it is also of importance to ensure that you have adequate non-life insurance cover and that your policy is up to date to ensure that you are sufficiently covered,” added Palagangwe.
It also recommended that those going on holiday contact their insurer to confirm any insurance policy limitations.
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