Who doesn’t love the holiday season? Seeing family and friends, the joy of giving to those you love, filling the car to the brim and jingle-jingle-jingling all the way to Grandma’s house?
Unfortunately, the holidays are also the perfect time for burglaries as thieves have plenty of time to raid a home they know isn’t occupied. Home theft has a general increase of approximately 18% during the month of December*. Even if you aren’t going away this Christmas, temptation runs high for easy burglaries.
By taking a few simple precautions, you can significantly reduce your chance of being burgled. Here are some simple and practical ideas to help keep your home secure over the holidays this year.
1. Keep your plans off of social media
A quick and easy way for thieves to know whether or not a homeowner is around is by checking their social media accounts. Be discreet about your travel plans and keep pictures of your vacation off of Facebook until you have returned home.
2. Keep your presents safe
Keep in mind that the windows of your home are not just there so you can see out, but also so others can see in: a load of presents or expensive gifts on display under a tree may entice nefarious types, so perhaps keep gifts out of sight. It will be more of a surprise on Christmas morning and keep your home from being an easy target.
To that end, be cautious about packages being delivered to your door or packaging in your trash bins; does it advertise that you have expensive gifts inside? We all know that packages left outside can be easily swiped, so if possible, remove packages from your front step as quickly as you can.
3. Make your house less attractive to thieves
My father had motion sensor lights on the outside of the house I grew up in and I used to hate it as it meant that sneaking out of the house was impossible…well, thanks Dad, I now have motion sensor lights installed on my home as a theft deterrent. Lights of all kinds, such as external “dusk to dawn” lights, alarms, conspicuous cameras can assist as theft preventions. Burglars do not want to be seen, so make it difficult on them.
4. Secure your windows and doors
Check the locks twice before leaving on vacation. Good solid locks, dead bolts and placing a wooden or metal rod in the track of your sliding doors will help to keep potential thieves at bay (they may be able to pick the lock on the sliding door, but the rod will keep the door from being able to slide open.
5. Lights with timers
Want it to look like you are at home? Lights with timers can help give that illusion, or even better, there are apps for the phone now that allow you to connect with lights and electronics in your home and turn them on from afar. My partner used our mobile app while away on an international business trip to mess with me – they are very effective!
6. Is the garage door secure?
Anymore, most automatic garage doors can be opened with an universal remote. This allows thieves the ability to get into your garage, shut the door and take their time getting into your home. With that in mind, make sure the door from the garage to the home is dead bolted and consider manually closing the door and disconnecting it form the automated system when you are ready to leave. Most burglaries are about convenience: make it hard for them.
7. Entrust a friend, relative or neighbor to keep an eye on your home
We are lucky enough to have a set of fantastic neighbors with whom we all share responsibility for each other’s home while one another are away. They keep an eye out for packages, take care of our trash and recycling, collect our mail, and even park one of their cards in our driveway while we are away. Do you have a neighbor or good friend that you trust who could keep an eye on your home, or even better, perhaps stay at the home while you are away? The best theft deterrent is a busy and active home.
8. Pull those plugs
To avoid any power surges while you are away, it isn’t a bad idea to unplug the unnecessary appliances, such as the washer, dryer, television, computers, dishwasher, etc. Not the refrigerator though as getting it back up to cold takes several hours and you wouldn’t want the condiments inside to go bad!
9. Protect your Valuables
Lock all valuables away, especially important papers, like passports, birth certificates and bank details. Consider getting a safe installed and remember that most burglaries are about opportunity. Keep your windows and doors locked, even when the home is occupied and know where your keys are…I once had a kind deliveryman tell me that I had left the keys in the front door; I had been home for hours. Luckily, there are good people in the world and he was kind enough to make me aware, but don’t get caught out: keep your keys somewhere safe inside.
The good news is that overall, home burglaries rates are coming down, 37% less in 2016 than in 2006(+), but taking steps to ensure your home is protected is an easy way to keep your mind at ease while away enjoying eggnog and turkey with family.
If the unthinkable does happen and you have to make a Home Owner Insurance Claim, the Home+Plus program by Lifestyle Benefits Club will cover your deductible and any time you need to spend in a hotel (including meals). You can have peace of mind this holiday not having to worry about the financial burden of a break-in.
Use the above tips to help keep you, your family and your wrapped gifts of love safe and protected this holiday season. May your Holiday be filled with joy and magic!
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* - Source: CNN.money - https://money.cnn.com
+ - Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States
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