Before you leave Home

1.. Inform as few people as possible about your forthcoming holiday or business trip. Only those individuals; such as your immediate neighbour, close friends or security personnel - who might be called upon to monitor your home, or those who will be expected to assist you in times of emergency should be aware of your plans.

2. Pack your bags and your vehicle as discreetly as possible. A blatant display of a holiday packing session could attract the wrong kind of attention, leaving your home prey to burglaries. It is highly advisable that you pack your bags at least a day or two before departure, thus giving you ample time to secure your luggage and determine if you have omitted any crucial items.

3. Make a detailed list of what you have packed in your bags. Should your luggage be stolen or damaged, this list will help in determining the extent of your losses and in processing the insurance claim.

4. Inform your security company, your house ?? sitter, your neighbour, your friends and your relatives of their specific role in the monitoring of your house. Neglecting to notify all of these individuals of each other and their duties could result in embarrassing, unpleasant and quite tragic outcomes.

5. Have a neighbour, friend or relative establish a routine at your house that sees your newspaper, grocery deliveries and mail collected on a daily basis and to ensure that a part of your house lights are switched off in the morning and switched on at dusk. This will help create the impression that someone is still living on the premises.

6. A brief test run with your alarm system and your security company??s response time should also be attempted. Be sure to not attempt this more than twice as it creates unnecessary tension with your security company and could possibly delay their response should you have real crisis on your hands.

7. During your absence, your neighbours should also be tasked with determining if any suspicious characters have suddenly taken a particular interest in your property. Should there be any such dubious activity they should immediately notify your local police station or your local security company. At no time should your neighbours be encouraged to confront any suspicious characters or possible criminals.

8. House-sitters should be professionally screened and their references fastidiously checked before you decide to engage them in the care of your house.