A Few Things to Keep in Mind Before You Go on Holiday

Photo by Juan Cruz Mountford on Unsplash 

After surviving the busy season, you want that holiday that you’ve been looking forward to all year to be as carefree and enjoyable as possible. The last thing you want is to get a phone call while you’re away to hear that your alarm has been playing up or to get a call from your house sitters with concerning news.  

While you can’t prevent things from going wrong, you can prepare as much as possible to ensure that if anything does go awry, it’s much more manageable. Before you set off for your destination, here are a few things to check off to help you get ready for a stress-free and relaxing time with your loved ones. 

1. Your Vehicle  

Vehicle maintenance is a must before you travel to your favourite holiday spot. But an equally important factor to consider is whether your vehicle is currently road worthy. If not, you may have hassles with claiming should you have an accident on the road. We suggest checking your tyre tread, headlights and taillights, braking system and so on to ensure they all comply with the National Road Traffic Act.  

Another item to check off your pre-vacation to-do list is testing your tracking device to make sure it’s working as it should. In the event of claiming, you need to be able to show that you’ve done everything you can to lower your risk of accidents or car theft.  

2. Your Home and Business 

One of the most important checks that you can do before you leave is to see if your home and/or business alarm battery is charged. You can do this with a voltmeter if you have the skills or you can call in professionals if you are unsure. This testing is especially important in light of load-shedding, since frequent power outages can drain your battery.   

You should also give your house sitter your broker’s contact details, so that they can notify them immediately if your house has been broken into and they can’t get hold of you. Other important numbers to give your house sitter include numbers of friends and family members, your electrician, and your plumber in case of any sudden emergency. In addition to these precautions, we recommend locking any important papers away and keeping certified copies of these, which can be saved electronically and can be easily accessed when needed.     

3. Your Insurance 

If you travel a lot and are considering taking out travel insurance, we recommend that you inform yourself of what is and isn’t covered. This will give you one less thing to worry about while braving the skies or crossing borders and land posts during the pandemic.  

We hope that you’ve found these pre-travel tips helpful. If you’d like any advice on the best insurance policies for you and on what they cover, kindly contact one of our friendly brokers for more information.