How to Keep Your Home Safe During the Holidays: Our Top 6 Tips

The "most wonderful time of the year" is undoubtedly the holiday season and it is fast approaching. The majority of us concentrate on spending time with friends and family, buying gifts, and organizing travel. However, it's also a time when there are more safety risks at home, particularly those related to theft. With these 6 home security tips, you can feel secure during the holidays and keep your home safe.

1. If you're traveling, let a trusted neighbor know you'll be away.

When you go on vacation, your trusted neighbors are your first line of defense. Asking a few of your reliable neighbors to watch over your house while you are away is always smart. Tell them when you'll be gone, provide emergency contact information, whether you expect anyone to be at your home during your trip, and whether you have any lights or appliances on timers to simulate occupancy. They should also move your car occasionally to make it appear that someone is home or ask them to park in your driveway if you are taking your car on vacation. Request that they remove any flyers that have been left on your door or mailbox, pick up newspapers, and put away trash cans, as these can be used by thieves to identify empty homes.

Along the same lines, posting a picture of your feet on the airport carpet is a common trend, but it’s also a way to let the world know your house is vacant. Keep your travel plans private. Posting where you're going, when you're leaving, or when you'll return is valuable information for a thief. It can be compelling to share your daily travel adventures but returning home to find your house broken into is never fun and will quickly sour your post-vacation glow.

2. Make it sound and look like someone is home.

Any expert in home security will tell you that potential burglars are aware of the telltale signs that someone is away from home. Darkness signals an empty home to a potential burglar. An intruder wants to go undetected as much as possible, so something unexpected, such as an alarm, a dog barking, or even a sudden flood of light, may be enough to make a thief flee empty-handed. Use motion-activated lights outside and a smart outlet inside to set timers for turning your lights on and off. Your lights should be on around the same time as if you were home to give the impression you are there. You can schedule the on and off times of your lights using a "smart lighting" system too - ideally, at different times to avoid a noticeable pattern.

Consider leaving the television on during your trip. You can also connect your television to your smartphone and turn it on and off while you're away. Most burglars will be hesitant to enter a house if they hear noises or see the glow of a television. Another option is to place a radio near the front door and program it to play music throughout the day.

3. If you work outside the home, ship packages to your workplace.

With each passing year, the popularity of online shopping grows, which means it’s even more important to keep your home safe from package thieves during the holidays. You can specify a delivery day and time window, require a signature, or better yet, have packages delivered to your work address. If it needs to be shipped to your home address while you're away, track it and notify a trusted and friendly neighbor to pick it up once it arrives. That way, boxes won't pile up on your porch and announce to the world that you're not home, a dead giveaway to any thief!

4. Put padlocks on your garage, gates, and shed.

Criminals are increasingly using garages as entry points into homes. Make it a habit to lock all garage doors, both interior and exterior (even if you’re at home). To make sure thieves can’t enter your garage while you’re away or at night, add a padlock to the interior latch to make sure no one can open it. Thieves also want to stay out of sight, so they often make their way to the back of the house to look for open windows or doors. Putting padlocks on fence gates makes it harder for them to sneak around to the back, and makes it even harder to leave with stolen property.

It’s also important to protect the expensive equipment stored in backyard sheds. We suggest putting a lock on the shed door as well. The harder you make it for criminals to access the goods, the more likely they will skip your house completely.

5. Make sure presents are not visible from the window.

Expensive presents, like jewelry and smart devices, are now common holiday gifts. Even when wrapped, these items can entice someone to grab the presents and run. Instead of setting out gifts days before the big event, keep them tucked away out of sight. Nothing ruins a holiday faster than a break-in just days before your family celebration.

6. Don't share expensive gifts on social media.

We know you want to show your friends the latest gadgets or cool kicks you received, but this also alerts criminals to what they can find in your house. Regardless of how secure you think your profiles are, it’s never a good idea to broadcast the expensive or trendy items you own.

Extra Precautions To Consider:

• Never hide keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes, or other "secret" hiding places; burglars are aware of where to look for hidden keys.

• Trim the shrubbery around your home to provide less cover for intruders.

• Invest in a home/security/burglar alarm system and/or add security cameras.

• Maintain a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including a description of the items, the date of purchase, the original value, and serial numbers, and keep a copy in a safe place away from home.

• Before throwing away expensive gift packaging, it should be destroyed or cut up. Some thieves will dig through trash to see if there are any valuables inside your home.

• Take care of your neighbors. If you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood, dial 9-1-1 right away.

This holiday season, you can help protect your family, home, and security by taking a few simple steps. You'll feel more at ease enjoying holiday gatherings knowing that you've taken precautions to protect your home. Keep in mind that a burglary can occur at any time. You can help protect your belongings and deter thieves from targeting your home by taking extra precautions and learning how to keep your home secure.

I genuinely hope that each of you have the chance to fully appreciate the holiday season, spend quality time with loved ones, and make priceless memories. Just remember to set aside a little time to take a few extra security measures to protect your property. Contact us if you have any additional questions about securing your home for the holidays or all year long. We're always prepared to be of service.