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Checklist before going away on holiday

Nov 10, 2017
Views: 1271

General Insurance Home Insurance

Going away on a holiday is great. New places, new experiences and new memories.

To make your time away as relaxing as possible, it is good to prepare your home so that you can relax knowing you've taken some solid steps to help keep your house safe. As a start, follow the checklist before going away on holiday.

Can you imagine what it would be like to come home to find that your house had been broken into or damaged whilst you were away... Not the return you are ever hoping for.

Checklist before going away on holiday

Secure your house - make sure you lock the front door, back door and any access ways into your house.
Put away your valuables - don't leave jewellery or precious items out and about. If you have a safe, then it is worth putting your valuables that are not coming with you into a safe or somewhere else that you feel is secure.
Mow the lawn - Keeping a house looking neat and tidy goes a long way to make it looked lived it. Imagine if your grass is looking a little long when you leave on holidays, can you imagine what it might look like when you return weeks later.
Lock your windows - If you are leaving home in the summertime, then do a quick walk around the house to check and secure all your windows.
Turn on your lights - Put your lights on a timer. Nowadays there are even options to control your lights from your smartphone, enabling you to add some random patterns into what light is turned on when to make the activity in your house look less predictable.
Organise for packages or letters to be collected - an overflowing mailbox or packages that sit on a front porch and haven't been collected for a few days are a clear signal that no one is home. Organise either for you mail and parcels to be held at the post office or collected periodically by a friendly neighbour.
Remove your spare key - If you leave a spare key outside your house, just for emergencies, then now is the time to put it inside for the duration of your holiday.
Unplug electrical devices - printers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and dryers are just some of the electrical devices you should unplug before going away. A good rule is that if an electrical device doesn't need to remain plugged in, then unplug it.
Photograph your important travel documents - your travel details, receipts for bookings and your passport are important documents and storing a digital copy can make life a lot easier if you lose them or need to access them.
Close your curtains - Closing your curtains makes it harder for people to see into your house and be tempted by any of your items.
Let a friend or neighbour know - If you can, it is good to let someone know so that you are going away, so they can keep an eye out for you on your property.
Water your plants - a little water before you go can buy you some time with plants and hopefully enable them to last till you are back from your holiday.
Check your travel insurance - If you don't have any, then consider buying some.
Lock the front door - worth saying this again as leaving the keys in the front door or leaving it unlocked can happen.

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Secure your house - make sure you lock the front door, back door and any access ways into your house.
Put away your valuables - don't leave jewellery or precious items out and about. If you have a safe, then it is worth putting your valuables that are not coming with you into a safe or somewhere else that you feel is secure.
Mow the lawn - Keeping a house looking neat and tidy goes a long way to make it looked lived it. Imagine if your grass is looking a little long when you leave on holidays, can you imagine what it might look like when you return weeks later.
Lock your windows - If you are leaving home in the summertime, then do a quick walk around the house to check and secure all your windows.
Turn on your lights - Put your lights on a timer. Nowadays there are even options to control your lights from your smartphone, enabling you to add some random patterns into what light is turned on when to make the activity in your house look less predictable.
Organise for packages or letters to be collected - an overflowing mailbox or packages that sit on a front porch and haven't been collected for a few days are a clear signal that no one is home. Organise either for you mail and parcels to be held at the post office or collected periodically by a friendly neighbour.
Remove your spare key - If you leave a spare key outside your house, just for emergencies, then now is the time to put it inside for the duration of your holiday.
Unplug electrical devices - printers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and dryers are just some of the electrical devices you should unplug before going away. A good rule is that if an electrical device doesn't need to remain plugged in, then unplug it.
Photograph your important travel documents - your travel details, receipts for bookings and your passport are important documents and storing a digital copy can make life a lot easier if you lose them or need to access them.
Close your curtains - Closing your curtains makes it harder for people to see into your house and be tempted by any of your items.
Let a friend or neighbour know - If you can, it is good to let someone know so that you are going away, so they can keep an eye out for you on your property.
Water your plants - a little water before you go can buy you some time with plants and hopefully enable them to last till you are back from your holiday.
Check your travel insurance - If you don't have any, then consider buying some.
Lock the front door - worth saying this again as leaving the keys in the front door or leaving it unlocked can happen.

Going away on holidays is a great opportunity to have fun, create new memories and enjoy new experiences. To make it more enjoyable, a little preparation can enable you to relax.

Holiday Checklist Home Security

General Advice Warning: This advice is general and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the advice is appropriate for you and your personal circumstances. Before you make any decision about whether to acquire a certain product, you should obtain and read the relevant product disclosure statement.

All information above has been provided by the author.

Andy Jamieson, ABN 17 613 588 266