15 Top Tips to Keep Your Home Secure Over the Holidays

By Steven Capogna | November 30, 2017

The holiday season is soon upon us. It seems hard to believe but the stores are already filled with holiday decorations and coffee shops already brewing up our favorite seasonal delights. That means that the holidays are about to jump into full swing, as will holiday crime.

Many things set the stage for a spike in crime around the holidays. Shorter days and longer nights, traveling, receiving packages, shopping, busy preoccupied residents are all part of the season and are attractive elements to burglars who want to make your home a target.

Take Steps to Keep the Holidays Merry

Holiday crime does not have to be an inevitability of the season, however. You can take many precautionary steps that will reduce the likelihood of becoming a target for crime. Here are our top holiday home security tips.

  1. Keep your doors and windows locked.
  2. Arm your security system. Many people fail to arm their system because they will be in and out of the home so many times in the day or they are expecting holiday guests. Never fail to arm the system.
  3. If you do not have a security system, have one installed.
  4. Use home automation to let holiday guests in the house if you are not home, or to open the garage to let the mail carrier place packages in a safe location.
  5. Use timers or home automation to mock occupancy with lights, music, and television going on and off at different times.
  6. Make sure gifts, packages or valuables are not visible through your window or through an open door.
  7. Close your curtains. Thieves strike a home based on a risk/reward evaluation. If they can see what is in a home, that could tip the scale enough to make your home worth the trouble.
  8. Use exterior lighting. Make sure the outside of your home is sufficiently lit. The last thing a thief wants is to be seen.
  9. Put holiday lights on a timer. This prevents thieves from knowing whether you are home or away.
  10. Do not run extension cords through your windows. This prevents the windows from closing and locking properly.
  11. Do not advertise your holiday travel plans. Share your holiday plans with only a few trusted friends and never share it on social media.
  12. Resist sharing holiday pictures on social media, especially those that show off that new expensive item.
  13. If you give, give online or directly to charities rather than giving to door-to-door solicitors. Criminals often pose as a charity or sales person to scope out the home.
  14. Have neighbors help make it look like you are home by picking up mail, parking their car in your driveway, and keeping the yard tidy.
  15. Never place empty boxes for trash pick-up in plain view. Break them down and invert the box so product labels are not plainly seen.

Alarmingly Affordable has over 30 years electronic security experience. Located in Staten Island, we serve the 5 boroughs with professional and personalized service.

 

Steven Capogna
Follow Us
Latest posts by Steven Capogna (see all)
Posted in Home Security