Ensure a house number is visible

Finding an address has never been easier with satellite navigation technology.

However, even if “you have arrived at your destination”, it can still be a guessing game if the property has no visible house number.

Charnel Hattingh, the group head of marketing and communications for Fidelity ADT, reiterated the importance of a visible house number, especially in an emergency.

“When you call for emergency assistance, in the event of a fire, medical emergency or criminal incident, one of the dispatcher’s priorities is to ascertain where the emergency is. Your address is important because it is relayed to the relevant emergency service, such as the fire department, police or ambulance,” she said.

“The responders must be able to find your property easily and quickly, and they can only do this if you have a visible house number displayed. It is not ideal for someone to wait outside to flag the emergency vehicle down because you don’t have a visible house number or finding your property is confusing.”

Here are 10 tips from Fidelity ADT on how to ensure your house number is always visible:

• If you have a house number, stand on the street and look at your property to ensure it is visible to passers-by during the day and at night.

• If your home is set back from the street and unseen from the road, the house number must be visible at the entrance to your driveway or on the kerb.

• If multiple homes use the same driveway, all numbers must be visible at the driveway’s entrance and again at each home.

• Use large and easy-to-read numbers.

• Display the house number in a prominent position on your property’s perimeter. Depending on the property’s size, you might need more than one number on the perimeter.

• On your post box, above your garage door or on the kerb are other good places to display a home’s number.
• The colour of the numbers should not blend into the colour of the wall.

• Trim foliage that could obscure the number.

• Check for wear and tear and replace faded or damaged signage.

• Remember, your security company can advise where to display your house number best. In some suburbs, CPFs often take the initiative to paint house numbers on kerbs for a small donation.

“Corner stands can be particularly tricky, so if you have more than one entrance, ensure both are marked and if one gate is in another street, display your full address there,” Hattingh said.

She advised homeowners to make the visibility of their house numbers part of home maintenance.

“The job of a paramedic, firefighter, armed reaction officer or police officer comes with high accountability in emergencies, and they often come under scrutiny when things go wrong.

“We believe the public must do everything possible to assist these services to execute their jobs diligently in the shortest time frame in an emergency. Any hindrance – like a property without a house number – can obstruct the services from carrying out their critical services.

“It is a small commitment to ensure emergency services can find your house quickly in an emergency, which can make a massive difference when you need it most.”

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