Sunscreen? Check. Swimsuit? Check. Spotify holiday playlist? Flawless. The end-of-year escape countdown is officially on, and you’re certainly not alone in your eagerness. As thousands of South Africans prepare to go on holiday, use this ultimate checklist to lock down your most important asset—your home—and ensure you’re not having to deal with a home disaster from afar.
“The holiday rush often means we forget the most important step: securing the home we’re escaping from,” says Rishka Matthews, Sweepsouth‘s head of marketing. “This checklist is a non-negotiable part of the vacation prep, because peace of mind is the best souvenir.”
Pre-empt plumbing and power problems
A vacation is for relaxation, not fielding frantic calls about household mayhem. Nothing ruins ‘R&R’ faster than a burst geyser, a fire due to exposed wiring, or a tree that’s toppled over and caused damage courtesy of a fierce summer storm. Dealing with a disaster from a distance is a nightmare; being forced to fly home to fix it is a tragedy.
Matthews notes: “We all look forward to relaxation, but a frantic call about a burst geyser will instantly ruin it. It’s a small investment of time now to do a pre-vacation inspection, which can save thousands in emergency call-out fees and repair costs later.”
Proactive maintenance is key to a worry-free departure. Take a deliberate walk-through your home, inside and out. Hunt for potential trouble spots and get it sorted now.
Don’t look empty
An obviously vacant house is essentially an open invitation to opportunistic criminals. Flyers stuck on your garage gate, bins left outside, and a jungle for a lawn are all tell-tale signs. Make sure that while you’re away your house will look lived in.
“Criminals are looking for easy targets. An overgrown garden or unkempt exterior is a classic signal that the home is vacant. Delegating simple tasks, like having a trusted person put the bins out or attend to the lawn, goes a long way,” advises Matthews.
A smart tip is to arrange for a trusted neighbour or friend to maintain appearances while you’re gone, and return the favour when they go away. If you have an alarm, equip your designated sitter/neighbour with a remote or code to disarm it in case of accidental triggering, and ensure your security company has clear access instructions if they suspect a break-in. A storage lock box, mounted securely and opened via a combination, is an excellent fallback for key access in a true emergency.
Fortify the perimeter
Do a thorough inspection of your outdoor areas for vulnerabilities. Trim any tree branches that hang low over perimeter walls—they’re potential security aids for intruders.
Lock away garden tools and DIY equipment like spades, hammers, and bolt cutters. You don’t want to provide a thief with the means to break your windows. Secure any outdoor ladders so they can’t be repurposed for scaling walls or reaching high windows, cautions Matthews.
Lastly, ensure all windows latch tightly and verify the integrity of your doors and gates—especially the front door and pedestrian entry points. They should not be easy to smash open.
The illusion of presence
A bit of simple tech can do wonders for deterrence.
- Leave a radio tuned to a talk station on a very low volume. Even a faint, sporadic noise can convince an opportunistic thief the house is occupied.
- Invest in light switch timers to automatically turn lamps on and off on a programmed schedule. This mimics the erratic pattern of someone actually being home.
- Consider surveillance cameras that allow you to check in on your property from the comfort of your sun lounger. Peace of mind is priceless.
Protect possessions and preserve plant life
You can’t relax if you’re worrying about your valuables or your favourite fern. Put laptops, tablets, and other expensive electronics out of sight, and store jewellery and important documents in a safe or a locked cabinet.
Unplug all non-essential electronics (TVs, computers, toasters, etc.) to protect them from power surges, especially during load shedding.
“Protecting your valuables and preserving your garden doesn’t have to be a headache,” says Matthews. “Whether it’s securing a professional to maintain your outdoor space through platforms like Sweepsouth or using simple tricks like the ‘wick trick’ for indoor plants, taking these small steps ensures you come home to a house that’s just as good as you left it.”
If you have a house sitter, book a gardener through SweepSouth to ensure the lawn and outdoor beds don’t turn into a brown wasteland. If you only have indoor plants, use the wick trick: place one end of a cotton rope in a bucket of water and push the other end into the soil near the plant. The rope will wick water up to keep your greenery alive.
“This is the time of year to lean on services such as ours that are available to you 356 days a year. Our goal is for South Africans to be able to fully switch off,” Matthews concludes. “By following these steps, you’re not just locking up; you’re investing in true, worry-free time away.”
Images: SA Home Owner Photo Library
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