When you’ve worked hard and saved up for your dream holiday, the last thing you want is to have it interrupted by bad news from home – or find disaster waiting behind your front door when you return.
Chris Wright is general manager at BAS Facilities Management and specialises in building maintenance. He shared his advice for keeping your home secure and disaster free, so you can switch off while you’re away.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of preventative maintenance and making sure things are done in advance,” he said.
Storms
The most important preventative measures are for hurricanes, which is especially important if you are travelling between June and November. It doesn’t just involve bringing outside items in, and the maintenance should begin now to prevent a last minute panic.
“Make sure your roof gutters are free of debris and have the necessary cones or protection on them,” Mr Wright said.
“Make sure your windows are secure, the caulking and everything around your windows is intact. Make sure that any cracks or any issues are identified beforehand. Make sure that any external items around the house that are fixed, like air conditioning units, are properly bolted down on slabs. Make sure that any foliage or large trees are kept under control around the property.”
He also emphasised that this should be a year-round activity because “sometimes you have those winter storms and gales that come out of nowhere”.
Break-ins
Leaving your home empty can make it vulnerable to thieves; one form of protection is to make it seem like someone is home.
“Most break-ins are planned based on some type of observation of a pattern,” Mr Wright warned.
One way to keep a potential thief guessing is to ask a friend, family member or trusted neighbour to come over from time to time. Also, leave your car at home and ask that person to move it each time they come over.
To make your house more secure, he also recommended security lighting and camera systems which can be viewed remotely.
“You can put the app on your phone, Blink, Ring, all of those are very good,” he advised. He also suggested buying one with the ability to record in case you need to go back and review any footage.
While people usually lock their doors and windows, in Mr Wright’s experience, most also have a way to get into their house if they have lost their keys.
“It’s a matter of even plugging up those gaps to make sure that there’s no possible risk of unauthorised entry,” he advised.
Finally, he added, don’t broadcast the fact that you are away.
“Wait to post your pictures when you get back,” he said. “If you have uploaded photographs onto social media announcing you are in the South of France, someone might think, ‘I know where they live.’ It really honestly happens.”
Hire professionals
Other emergencies that can happen while you’re away could include plumbing leaks such as from a water heater, or a tank overflowing. Mr Wright recommends having someone keep an eye on your property while you are away and his company can help with that.
BASFM offers a home maintenance service, which can include all prevention, maintenance and emergency services on a contractual basis, customised to whatever a client needs.
If you don’t have a contract, and something goes wrong while you are on holiday, or a hurricane is coming and you haven’t adequately prepared for it, call BASFM and they will do what they can.
