With all the excitement of the holiday season, people often get lax about security. Burglars know that many people have homes filled with gifts intended for family and friends. In addition, setting the clocks back means it gets dark earlier, which can make it easier for thieves to slip in and out of houses undetected. Here are some tips to keep your home secure this holiday season.
Protect Valuable Gifts
If you plan to order gifts online, don’t have anything expensive delivered to your house when no one is home. Have purchases sent to a trusted neighbor’s house or to your workplace, or pick them up at the store.
Keep any expensive gifts you buy, such as electronics, out of sight. Put them in a closet, if possible. If you can’t do that, keep the curtains drawn in the room where you store them.
Be careful about where and how you dispose of the boxes that valuable gifts came in. If you leave a box that contained an expensive item on the curb in plain view, anyone who sees it (including burglars) will know that that item is inside your house.
Keep Your Home Secure
Lock your doors and windows, including those on upper floors, whether you are home or not. A burglar could slip into your Bridgeport residence and take off in seconds with your belongings or gifts you bought for your loved ones.
Install a security system if you don’t already have one. It should contact the police automatically if a sign of a break-in is detected. Consider a security system that allows you to monitor a video feed on your smartphone.
Make sure the outside of your house is well lit. Motion-activated lights can alert you if an intruder enters your yard.
If you plan to go away to visit others around the holidays, don’t make it obvious that your home is unoccupied. Use timers to turn lights on and off randomly. Have a neighbor pick up your mail or have the post office hold it. Park a car in the garage or driveway to make it appear that someone is home.
Don’t Overshare Online
Be careful what you post on social media since burglars often use it to choose houses to rob. If you plan to go away, only tell people who need to know, not everyone on social media. Don’t talk online about your holiday shopping plans or expensive gifts you have bought or received.
Don’t Let Thieves Ruin Your Holidays
The holiday season is a joyful time for many, but for burglars, it’s a time when people have homes filled with valuables and let their guard down. Keep your home secure so you don’t become a victim. If you want to upgrade your security, All American Locksmiths can install new deadbolt locks at your Connecticut or Westchester County home. Contact us today to learn more.
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