A safe home while you’re on holiday

Before you pack your bags and print your boarding passes, there are a few things you need to get in order at home to ensure uninterrupted holiday bliss.

“An empty home seems easy enough to leave behind when you are travelling: simply switch off all appliances, lock up and leave.

However, if you want to be sure your holiday isn’t cut short by some emergency back at home, then there are a few precautionary measures homeowners should take before leaving on vacation,” says Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa. 

A few things to take care of: 

Secure your home
Before you leave, cut back any plants that are near to your outdoor security beams so that they don’t trigger your alarm while you’re away.
Also be sure to get your alarm serviced to ensure it is working properly.
To prevent bugs from crawling over the sensors and falsely triggering your armed response team, put moth balls behind the sensor.

Arrange for house-sitters
An obviously vacant home is like bait for criminals.
While setting your lights to a timer and arranging for a neighbour to collect your mail are good preventative measures, a better preventative measure is to arrange for a house-sitter.
Remember that a house-sitter is unlikely to be familiar with the layout of your home – especially if you make use of a professional service.
To avoid vases being knocked over in the dark as they fumble for the light switch, arrange for a quick run-through of your home and the various rules you have in place before you leave.
Also be sure to leave a list of emergency contacts and some emergency cash in case something breaks or needs urgent repairing.

Make plans for your pet
There are three options for holidaying pet-owners: book your pets in at a pet-sitter, hire somebody to pet-sit from your home, or ask a friend or family member to house-sit or take your pet into their own home while you are away.
Whether it is somebody you know or a professional pet-sitter, the person will need enough notice so that they can plan accordingly.
The person will also need their own set of keys to get in and out of your home.
If you don’t have a spare set, you will have to get these made before you leave.
Goslett reminds homeowners that they could also put up their home for a short-term lease and hire a rental agent who can manage the tenants while they are away.
“This presents a way for homeowners to earn some additional income while they enjoy their adventures away from home,” he concludes.