Protecting your home with a house-sitter over the Easter weekend
According to statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS) crime report, there were a total of 245,531 reported cases of burglary of residential homes in 2012/2013. The report highlighted that home break-ins, particularly during the holidays, are common and often as a result of criminals seeing empty homes as easy targets. In an effort to avoid becoming another statistic, homeowners who plan on travelling to holiday destinations over the Easter weekend are advised to take the necessary precautions to reduce the risks of a home burglary.
Nazeer Hoosen, Executive Director: PPS Short-Term Insurance, says that homeowners should find a friend, neighbour or house-sitter to oversee the property while they are away in order to reduce their risks of a home burglary. "A lack of movement in the home can make it a more desirable target for burglars, which is why it is advisable to have someone stay on the property to create an awareness of presence.”
Hoosen says for those who make use of a house-sitter, they must ensure the person is someone they can trust, "While it is preferable to have friends or family house sit, there are also a number of professional house sitting service providers available.
If it is not possible to have someone stay on the premises, it is advisable to have someone visit the property on a regular basis. This also ensures potential hazards in the home are monitored, for example, ensuring the deep freeze contents remain preserved if the electricity goes off, or checking for any water pipe or geyser bursts.
Hoosen provides some other important tips that homeowners should bear in mind before leaving their home for their holiday, such as making sure someone collects and removes any mail or newspapers that are delivered to the home, "It is also a good idea to cancel the delivery of the newspaper over this time period and to make sure that other deliveries (for example online shopping or pre-ordered pet food or filtered water) are also cancelled.”
He also stresses the importance of ensuring a house alarm is in working order. "The alarm should be tested before embarking on holiday and the armed response service provider should be contacted to ensure the alarm is effectively linked back to the response centre. For those who employ a house sitter, they must ensure he/she is aware of how to operate the alarm as well as all the insurance requirements i.e. the alarm must be set when no one is on the property.”
It is also important that homeowners do not leave the lights on 24/7 as this gives the impression that no one is on the property to switch them off, says Hoosen. "A nice option is to implement a timer in the home that switches the lights on and off according to a time schedule – especially for those who do not use a house sitter.”
Furthermore, it is advisable to ensure the house is protected from the outside, says Hoosen. "Properties with high walls and effective protection against entry into the property (such as electric fencing, razor wire or apparent alarms) are perceived as being far more difficult to burgle.”
He says burglars may also ring the front doorbell to see if anyone responds, to determine whether there is a presence in the home, so it may be a good idea for homeowners to divert the answering system of the doorbell to their mobile phone while they are away. "It is also possible to link camera footage from any CCTV cameras to be viewed on mobile devices in order to monitor the property.”
I Hoosen also says that It is important to build good relations with neighbours as they will be more likely to report a burglary should they witness one.
"By bearing the above in mind, homeowners can feel comfortable that they have taken the necessary preventative measures to protect their homes against burglary should they go away over the Easter weekend. In addition, it is important to ensure appropriate insurance cover is in place to cover any financial losses in the unfortunate event of a home burglary,” concludes Hoosen.
