Your home is the place where you feel safe, but it can often be an accident waiting to happen.
You will never sleep if you keep thinking about the risks around your home. Someone can break in, a storm can damage your home or the geyser can burst in the middle of the night. However, you can take a few strategic steps to make your home safer for you and your family and mitigate the risks.
Owning a home is a monumental achievement, but, as the world of investment always reminds us, every reward comes with an element of risk. “From potential break-ins and accidents to natural disasters, your home faces many different risks,” Marius Kemp, head of personal underwriting at Santam, says.
According to the latest Santam Insurance Barometer report, almost 30% of personal lines respondents said they filed a home contents claim in the past 24 months, while 36% said they had claimed for building or geyser issues over the same period.
“In today’s fast-paced world, where homeowners juggle so many different responsibilities from day to day, keeping an eye on your home’s safety can sometimes fall off your radar. But protecting your home, its contents and the people you live with is not an insurmountable task. All it takes is a few practical steps, a little bit of initiative and vigilance.”
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Kemp suggests that you take these 6 steps:
#1: Check your geyser
Burst geysers and faulty plumbing are some of the most common causes of insurance claims. Apart from the cost of replacing an actual burst geyser, the costs from the resultant water damage can be substantial and have the ability to worsen over time, Kemp says.
Mitigating this risk requires a few regular check-ups, starting with your geyser. “Do not feel too bad if you have never even seen your geyser (many people have not). Once you have seen it, go outside to locate the overflow pipe. If it is dripping it is a sign of trouble and you will have to get a plumber to come and check it.
“Next, you will need a ladder and a torch. If the geyser is accessible, conduct a quick check of its condition. If it is looking old, damp or rusty – in fact if you have any suspicions whatsoever about its structural condition, call in a plumber to check it.”
Remember that as part of your regular home safety checks, you should have the sacrificial node on your geyser replaced every one to two years to extend the lifespan of your geyser. If you have an older home or have not checked on your geyser for a few years, this should be near the top of your to-do list.
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#2: Find out where the switch is for your water mains
Do you know where the switch is for your water mains? If the worst does happen and you have a burst geyser or pipe, whoever is in the home should be able to switch it off. Therefore, Kemp says, the next thing on your to-do list should be to locate the mains and inform everyone in the household where it is and how to operate it.
“Being prepared for incidents like burst pipes can prevent extensive water damage, which is not only costly but can also disrupt your home life. While your home insurance policy may cover the damage, quick action can help to reduce the extent of the harm, making the claims process smoother and less stressful.”
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#3: Add some security lighting
According to the latest report from the South African Police Service, contact crimes, which include murder, robbery and assault, increased over the past year. During the first part of the year, contact crimes increased by 2.6% to 153 657 incidents in just a few months, with most of these incidents occurring in residences.
Kemp says these findings are an important call to action for South African homeowners to prioritise their own personal safety as well as that of their homes and possessions.
“Adding lights with sensors at strategic points on your property is a good crime deterrent. Focus on areas around entrances, such as your garage and front door. This is probably something to talk to your security company – or a specialist – about, rather than tackling it yourself.”
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#4: Do some strategic gardening
Another proactive step you can take is to clear up as much space as possible around your house for maximum visibility.
Kemp recommends that if you have a small jungle growing around your property that intruders could easily hide in, use as a climbing aid, or that obscures your view when pulling out onto the road, now is a good time to do some trimming. This is particularly important for the front of your property, near the main entrance or garage.
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#5: Make sure your braai area is safe
Another major risk that homeowners face is the risk of fire, Kemp says. Many South Africans forget how easily a fire can start – from a discarded cigarette butt or a candle left unattended, to an electrical fault, a fire can be ignited in many different ways.
“If you have a braai area, it is important to check if any clutter has built up that may become a fire hazard. Look out for dry vegetation, bird nests in chimneys and furniture standing too close to the fire and check that there is a safe place to keep fire lighting equipment. Also make sure you have a bucket of sand or an easily available source of water nearby.”
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#6: Get a fire blanket and extinguisher
Having some kind of fire-fighting equipment on hand is also highly recommended, Kemp says.
“You may have the latest in Jamie Oliver cookbooks and Le Creuset pans, but if you do not have a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket (suitable for fires that cannot be extinguished by water) within easy reach, you are missing some essential kitchenware.
“As many household fires start in the kitchen, these are important tools for extinguishing a fire before it gets out of control.”
