• Take responsibility: Having enough insurance cover starts with you. It is your responsibility to give your insurer the correct information about the items that you want to insure, including their replacement value.
• Make sure the cover amount includes all costs involved: For your home, the cover amount should make provision for the cost of rebuilding all the structures on the property. The costs considered should be comprehensive (taking into account the construction, finishing and fittings) and should include VAT. For you home contents, it’s important to include things like your clothes – not only large items like furniture and appliances.
• Update your policy when you upgrade your home or buy new things: This includes any renovations or additions to your home and any new items that you buy or install at your home (for example a new sound system).
• Review your policy every year to keep track of inflation: It is critical to review your policy at least once a year to make sure that the cover amount is equal to how much it will cost you to replace the insured item today and not what you have originally paid for it.
• Get an expert opinion: When taking out a policy for the first time or when adding new items to your policy, it’s a good idea to have a valuation done by a professional. Some items such as jewellery may require that you have a valuation certificate – check with your insurer whether any of your goods require one.

It’s always better to be well prepared rather than to have to deal with unpleasant surprises when you return home from your holiday. Here are a few tips for keeping your property safe this festive season.
 

• Don’t advertise your absence: Don’t post your travel plans on social media – where you are going or how long you will be away for.
  
• Plan your packing:
  • Pack your car and trailer when it’s quiet so that passers-by won't see that you are packing for a long trip.
  • Keep your gates and doors closed while you pack the car. Leaving your gate and front door open and your car unlocked while you pack is an open invitation to opportunistic burglars.
  • Don’t leave your packed bags in the car or trailer overnight. Rather wake up early on the morning of your departure and pack the car just before you leave.
• Check your existing security measures:
  • Make sure that your alarm system is in good working order. Tell your service provider when you’ll be away and who will be watching your home during that time.
  • Trim any bushes or trees in your garden that may serve as hiding places for uninvited guests.
  • Consider installing motion sensor outdoor lights to help deter burglars before they can even get inside your house.
• Get a house sitter: Have a trusted friend or family member stay at your house while you’re away or hire a house sitter so that your house isn’t vacant. They can also help look after any pets that may not be able to join you on your holiday.
  
• Ask someone to check in on your property regularly. If your friend or family member can’t stay over the whole time that you’re away, you could still ask them to check in on your home and do the following so that it appears to be occupied:
  • Turn on certain lights each evening and turn them off again in the morning.
  • Clear out your post box regularly – an overflowing post box is one of the first signs of an unoccupied house.
  • Test your armed response system once a week to ensure that it is working as it should.
  • Keep an eye out for any overly curious individuals peering through the gates or over the walls in the area and report them to the local neighbourhood watch to alert other residents.