The holiday season is a wonderful time of the year to wind down, enjoy some needed time off, spend some extra time with family, children and friends. But, the holidays is also a time when criminals know you and your home are vulnerable.
For many people, the holidays also means lots to travel. Millions of people travel for the holiday season and burglars are keen to take advantage of this time of the year. There are clear measures you can take to protect your home, possessions and more importantly your family from these shady criminals. Lets looks at some helpful tips to keep you safe and in the holiday spirit throughout the season.
Home Safety and Security Must Be A Priority
OK, this may sound trivial, but so many people forget or don't take an extra 10 seconds to set their alarm when they leave the home. Well, I'm just going up to the market and will only be gone a few minutes is not a good excuse. Criminals can case a home and just be waiting for your to leave. It can only take a few minutes to break in and ruin your entire holiday. Invest in an easy to use, quality security system. Many so simple, easy and very affordable. Also, most systems today are designed for remote access directly from your smart phone, home computer or tablet devices.
Also very popular today are smart doorbells that will connect you directly to the device through motion sensors or activation of the bell itself. Another popular protection option is security cameras. Like smart doorbells, they can be remotely accessed from your smart phone and even activate lights, alarms and the police or fire services if needed.
Remote locks are also useful if you are planning on going away for the holidays, but still need to allow certain visitors into your home while you’re gone. You’ll be able to lock and unlock your doors remotely and be alerted every time the door is unlocked. This means if you happen to forget your house keys you’ll be able to let yourself in when you return from vacation. If you’re leaving your teens or young adult children behind this holiday season, you can get alerts for when they leave or come home. You can even set up an emergency automation that unlocks your doors if a fire is detected.
Don't Advertise Your Home is Vacant
While it's nice to keep your friends, family and coworkers updated on your holiday plans, criminals also count on you to help them know when a home is vacant. Resist the urge to post your travel plans, dates and updated pictures and posts of your trip. Don't be victimized at as a result of your own social media profile. Smart advise says to keep your holiday and travel plan to yourself.
Does Your Home Look Like No One Is Home?
It's normal to turn off all the lights and save energy when you're not home. But this could be a golden invitation for burglars to target your home. So, it's important to take special precautions when leaving for an extended period to make your home appear occupied and not a target.
- Keep a few interior lights and outside porch or floods lights on. Or more preferably set them for a time so they come on at dusk or sundown.
- Ask neighbor of friends to pick up your mail and newspapers, packages, move cars every day or two and shovel the driveway if you live in a snow area.
- Also have someone stop by and stay at the house or come take care of pets. Regular activity at the home and create the illusion of the home remaining vacant as normal.
- Be creative to think of anything else to trick burglars into thinking you are there.
Safety and Environment Protections
Home burglaries are not the only issue that can ruin your holiday season. Taking precautions to protection your home from safety and environmental issues are simple, easy and will amke sure you don't come home to a disaster.
- Unplug all your home appliances to protect them from power surges.
- Turn off the main water supply to the home or at the least, washer/dryer, sinks, toilets or other easy to access items.
- Check all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly before leaving.
- If you don't have a smart thermostat, make sure it is set correctly for the appropriate temperature and situation to prevent damage, energy waste or freezing during extreme cold weather.
Follow these simple and easy protections to keep your holiday happy and enjoyable.
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