Keep You And Your Property Safe During The Holiday Season

22 Dec Keep You And Your Property Safe During The Holiday Season

The holiday season is a wonderful time of the year, but it can be a risky time too. From burglaries and break-ins to car accidents and lost luggage, seasonal risks can end up costing you if you’re not properly prepared. Enjoy a stress-free holiday season and keep you and your property safe with these helpful tips.

1. Secure your home

While it may be a time for giving and sharing with family and friends, this time of year also comes with a higher risk of burglaries and damage to property. Many insurance providers experience an increase in house insurance claims around the holiday season. If you’re heading away on holiday, here are some ways you can protect your home when you’re not there:

• Let your neighbours know you’re away: ask them to keep an eye on your home and report any suspicious activity.
• Keep your travel plans offline: don’t share your travel plans on social media.
• Hide packages and valuables: store your gifts and parcels away from prying eyes, whether outside at your front door or inside near a window, and lock away valuables in a safe place.
• Put a stop to deliveries: cancel deliveries like newspaper subscriptions or food bags and have a neighbour clear your letterbox.
• Turn off Christmas lights: these could be a fire hazard so it’s best to turn off or disconnect any lights before you head away on holiday.
• Fit an alarm system: installing an alarm system can add an extra layer of protection to your home. Talk to our Personal Lending Team at Max Loans about a Home Improvement Loan to help cover the cost of installing a home alarm system to further protect your home while you’re away.
• Check that your house insurance policy is up to date and covers you while you’re away: your insurance provider may require you to inform them when you’re going on holiday so check with your insurance provider, particularly if you’ll be away for an extended time.
• Secure doors and windows, install sensor lights outside, and keep curtains and blinds partially closed.

2. Get your vehicle ready

Avoid getting stuck on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck when you head off on a road trip, by ensuring that your car is road-trip-ready:

• Book your car in for regular maintenance checks and servicing including oil changes and tyre pressure checks. Our Personal Lending Team at Max Loans can help arrange an Emergency Loan to cover vehicle maintenance and repair costs if you need these done in a hurry.
• Check that your warrant of fitness and vehicle licence are up to date.
• Ensure you have the right car insurance cover for you and your family. Talk to a Max Insurances Adviser if you’re unsure about your cover.

3. Stay safe on the roads

Holiday driving can be frustrating! With more traffic on the roads, congestion and driving in unfamiliar areas, it’s not unusual for more car accidents to occur at this time of year. Keep you and your family safe on the roads with these helpful tips:

• Maintain a safe following distance from vehicles in front of you.
• Schedule regular rest stops because fatigue from long trips can be deadly.
• Plan your travel to avoid the busiest peak traffic periods so you don’t get stuck in traffic.
• Slow down and be patient through road-work sites.
• Drive to the conditions.
• Buckle up.
• Watch out for hazards such as children or cyclists on the road.

4. Check your travel insurance

It’s no fun worrying about your possessions while you’re travelling. By taking a few extra steps to protect your valuables you’ll save money and avoid stress.

• Check that your travel insurance covers the area you’re travelling to and that it’s in place for the full duration of your trip.
• Let your insurance provider know if you’re planning to take part in any adventure activities as these may not be covered in your policy.
• Tell your insurance provider about any pre-existing medical conditions as these may need to be covered with a higher premium.
• Read the travel insurance documents carefully and take note of the inclusions and exclusions.
• Make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance because accidents happen and it’s important you and your family are covered for any unforeseen event.
• Make a copy of your important documents – such as travel insurance, air tickets and passport – and keep this copy separate from your travel documents in case you lose them.

Make memories this holiday season

Wherever you choose to travel this holiday season – whether it’s a road trip around New Zealand or an overseas break – a little preparation goes a long way towards keeping you and your family safe this holiday season.

For more information about house insurance or car insurance, get in touch with the team at Max Insurances, and let us help compare insurance NZ wide to find the right insurance for your needs and protect what matters most!

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