The festive period brings rest and travel for many families, but it also marks the peak season for home-related losses. Empty properties, electrical surges, and poor maintenance frequently lead to avoidable claims that can delay settlements or affect cover.

 

Here are several important considerations to protect your property and personal assets before you switch off for the holidays:

Vehicles, trailers and caravans

Long-distance travel and seasonal congestion significantly increase exposure at this time of year. Before heading out, apply the same level of care to your vehicle as you would to your home.

• Ensure servicing and maintenance are up to date and pay special attention to tyre tread, inflation, alignment, balancing, and windscreen wipers. Around 41 percent of mechanical-related crashes are linked to worn or underinflated tyres. *RTMC – Road Safety Annual Review.
• Conduct a roadworthy and safety check before any long trip. (Often your local service centre or tyre dealer will do a complementary multiple-point safety check for patrons) Preventable mechanical faults are a leading contributor to serious incidents during the holiday season Over 80 000 vehicles failed roadworthiness tests during the 2023 festive period alone. *National Traffic Police Roadworthiness Blitz Report 2023.
• Pack essential travel items such as reserve oil, coolant, a first aid kit, torch, emergency triangles, and keep hard-copy medical aid details. These support both safety and incident reporting in remote areas.
• Pre-download offline maps for your GPS and ensure emergency SOS features are activated in case of limited signal.
• Build rest stops into your journey and avoid driving when fatigued, especially on long-distance routes. Research shows that 20 to 30 percent of long-distance crashes involve fatigue, drowsiness, or micro-sleep events. *RTMC Fatigue Hazard Study 2024.
• For caravans and trailers, check tyres, wheel bearings, lights, tow hitches, and load security and distribution (Always pack the heaviest weight towards the tow bar) before departure.
• Remember that premiums are determined annually. Cover will often be denied when trying to take out right before or adjusted immediately before a high-risk trip or during a higher-risk period.

 

Theft and break-ins

• Check that alarm systems, security beams, and electric fencesare fully functional and linked to an armed-response provider.
• Update your insurer if security arrangements change during your absence.
• Theft and burglary claims rise sharply every December. Between October and December 2024, more than 35 700 burglaries and 6 200 house robberies were recorded nationwide, averaging nearly 470 incidents per day. Empty homes, silent alarms, and delayed response times remain the leading causes of loss. *Statistics South Africa – Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2023/24; insurer claims trend analysis 2024.

 

Power surges and electrical damage

• Unplug high-value electronics and install surge protectors where essential systems must remain on. (Consider installing a surge arrestor on your Distribution Board if you are a homeowner as this will offer the entire home and assets within it a moderate level of protection from power surges and unstable power provisioning).
• Many insurance policies partially or entirely exclude cover when equipment is not adequately protected against grid instability and power surge.
• Recurring load-shedding has caused a sustained rise in household surge-damage claims. South Africa recorded over 3 300 hours of outages in 2022, with a similar pattern through 2024, resulting in a surge-claim frequency increase of over 20 percent year on year. *Aggregated national load-shedding data and short-term insurer reports 2024.

 

Water and weather damage

• Inspect gutters, roofs, and drainage systemsbefore summer storms and when there is lush vegetation around the home and buildings.
• Ensure overflow channels are clear, especially if you live in flood-prone areas and thoroughly rinse drain pipes to ensure they are free from blockages.
• Temporary absences often turn minor leaks into major structural losses – when leaving the home where feasible, switch off main water lines to prevent a water leak from becoming a notification of flood from the front door by a neighbour mid-holiday.
• Weather-related incidents now account for roughly 41 percent of total claim value nationally, with flooding and hail being the leading causes of December property losses. Homeowners who service gutters, clear drains, and maintain waterproofing ahead of summer storms experience far fewer structural claims. *Standard Insurance Limited – Business Risk Report 2025.

 

Fire risk and electrical overload

• Switch off unnecessary appliances, especially heaters and decorative lighting, geysers and air conditioners.
• Ensure that circuit breakers and fire extinguishersare adequately serviced.
• Avoid over-loading multiplugs, a frequent cause of household fires.
• Fire claims remain financially severe, with individual incidents exceeding R183 million in loss value. Faulty wiring, unattended appliances, and over-loaded plugs are the most frequent domestic ignition points during the festive period. *Standard Insurance Limited – Business Risk Report 2025.

 

House sitters and disclosure

• If someone will occupy or monitor your home, notify your insurer and someone like a neighbour or family member to have a back-up if things go pear shaped.
• Non-disclosure of occupancy changescan affect claim validity particularly if you’re away for extended periods.
• Confirm that keys, alarm codes, and emergency procedures are documented and available to the people who may need it and confirm their availability and procedures in the event of the unforeseen
• Many festive-season claim rejections arise from misrepresentation of occupancy or inactive alarm monitoring. Full disclosure ensures uninterrupted cover. *Industry Claims Audit 2024.

 

Asset inventory and valuation

• Update your household contents scheduleand store a copy securely or in the cloud before December as insurers typically don’t allow for cover value increases in these higher volatility periods.
• Keep receipts and photographs of high-value items such as jewellery, electronics, and art and consider locking them away off site or in the safe if not done so already.
• Check your policy for All Risk declarations and Specification often our expensive binoculars or gifts accompany us and the family off of the property and they should be moved to the cover appropriate to their use.
• Lock valuable items away in a safe or cupboard if you can in secure storage when you’re away from your stayover venue and even before bedtime.
• It’s usually better to keep your high-value assets on you or locked away while holidaying rather than leaving them exposed in the vehicle at an unfamiliar beach. If they must be with you, consider waterproof bags and pouches for things like cellphones, watches and sunglasses so that you have them on your person, rather than leaving them hidden under a towel on the sand, in the tent or in your room at the lodge.
• Clients who maintain an accurate inventory experience 25 percent faster claim settlements and fewer under-insurance adjustments. Wyngaardt Brokers assists clients in verifying valuations and policy schedules to ensure cover remains aligned with real asset values. * Wyngaardt Brokers – Client Portfolio Data 2024.

 

Preventative steps taken now reduce disruption and disappointment later. If you would like support in reviewing your personal-lines policy, checking sums insured, or confirming security compliance, you can schedule a review here.

 

Wyngaardt Brokers (Pty) Ltd is an Authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP 53138).

 

Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for legal, medical, or financial advice, but is only provided for informational purposes. Ts and Cs, limits, and standard rates apply.