Making your home safer
The Citizen|November 11, 2024
Callto action for homeowners, says expert.
Making your home safer

You will never sleep if you had to keep thinking about the risks around your home. Someone can break in, or a storm can damage your home or the geyser can burst in the middle of the night. However, you can take a few steps to make your home safer.

Owning a home is a monumental achievement, but, as the world of investment always reminds us, every reward comes with an element of risk, says Marius Kemp, head of personal underwriting at Santam.

"From potential break-ins and accidents to natural disasters, your home faces many different risks."

According to the latest Santam Insurance Barometer report, almost 30% personal lines respondents said they filed a home contents claim in the past 24 months, while 36% said they had claimed for building or geyser issues over the same period.

"In today's fast-paced world, where homeowners juggle so many different responsibilities from day to day, keeping an eye on your home's safety can sometimes fall off your radar. But protecting your home, its contents and the people you live with is not an insurmountable task. All it takes is a few practical steps, a little bit of initiative and vigilance."

Kemp suggests that you take these six steps:

#1: Check your geyser
Burst geysers and faulty plumbing are some of the most common causes of insurance claims. Apart from the cost of replacing an actual burst geyser, the costs from the resultant water damage can be substantial and have the ability to worsen over time, Kemp says.

Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av The Citizen.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av The Citizen.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE CITIZENSe alt
Why buying vacant land in an estate is a good investment
The Citizen

Why buying vacant land in an estate is a good investment

Investing in a coastal estate is beneficial for everyone from first-time buyers to families and retirees, but the big debate is often between buying a home or buying land and building oneself.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
A rising star in clean living
The Citizen

A rising star in clean living

Soweto-based entrepreneur and author of the book #I am a housekeeper, Mbali Nhlapo, widely known as the founder of Sisters @ Work and a viral TikTok sensation, has become a household name in South African homes.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Notre Dame gets love
The Citizen

Notre Dame gets love

Americans open their hearts and wallets

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Heart-stopping vistas of Cape Town
The Citizen

Heart-stopping vistas of Cape Town

Table Mountain is the lodestar

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
K-culture doing OK in Sunshine Land
The Citizen

K-culture doing OK in Sunshine Land

Fans flock to sites associated with boy band

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Hello? Calling my owner?
The Citizen

Hello? Calling my owner?

Lost, but nearly always found-even your pet

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Proteas tighten grip
The Citizen

Proteas tighten grip

DOMINANT: STUBBS, BAVUMA TONS BAT SRI LANKA RIGHT OUT OF THE GAME

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Sirino looks ready to go
The Citizen

Sirino looks ready to go

Gaston Sirino (above) could return for Kaizer Chiefs in their Betway Premiership clash with Royal AM today at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

time-read
1 min  |
November 30, 2024
The Citizen

Inexperience becoming a tired excuse

There will always be reasons that teams are defeated, but there is one particular excuse that has become too easy for our national cricket teams to lean on when they lose.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Cricket-mad Vaibhav's dream becomes reality
The Citizen

Cricket-mad Vaibhav's dream becomes reality

Dreams have come early for cricket-mad Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the shy schoolboy aged 13 who is the youngest player in Indian Premier League history.

time-read
1 min  |
November 30, 2024