Holiday Home Security Tips
Security issues are amplified during holiday season. Home burglaries are the highest when criminals are desperate for cash and know where and how to acquire it. They often look for items to steal in the home of every family with a holiday tree. There are also more home fires and carbon monoxide poisonings during this time of year. All of these problems can be prevented with a few simple steps taken by each member of the family.
Don't advertise what you buy
When you go shopping, discreetly dispose of bags with department store names on them, especially those from high-end stores, electronics and jewelry stores. The same goes for after the presents have been opened. Don't leave boxes on the curb that show what new items your home has acquired. A box with a picture of a new gaming system or flat screen TV is a tempting offer for criminals and neighborhood kids who didn't get what they wanted from Santa.Freshen the batteries in detectors
Regularly update and check the batteries in your smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms. Have carbon monoxide detectors installed outside of family members' bedrooms. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a silent killer - it's an odorless, poisonous gas that prevents oxygen in the lungs from reaching vital tissues. It can cause damage to the brain immediately, or up to several days after an apparent recovery. Ensuring these detectors are working and reliable will increase the safety of your home.Turn off the lights
While holiday lights are beautiful, they can't be enjoyed while you're sleeping. Turn off the lights on the tree, especially if it is real. Stay on top of watering your holiday tree as the dryer it gets, the more flammable it becomes. Holiday lights are only supposed to heat up to a certain level but shorts can happen, bulbs can blow and sparks can ignite. Don't overload a socket with too many plugs. The best way to turn off the tree lights and outside decorative lights is to unplug them completely. This way, the circuit is completely broken.
Travel and Vacation Tips
Family trips and vacations are a time for the hard working to relax. It's also a time when criminals go to work. Certain areas - like those without community watch programs and neighborhoods where people don't know neighbors well enough to ask them to watch their home - can be easy targets. If your house is dark and your newspapers and mail are piling up outside, a clear message is sent out. You're gone and your house is empty. Instead of relying on someone else to make your home safe while you're gone, follow these tips to make it safe yourself before you leave.
Stop the mail
If you'll be gone for more than a week, visit your local post office and put your mail on temporary hold. This keeps your mail safe and prevents others from knowing you're out of town.Stop the paper
Call your local paper carrier and tell them to stop delivery while you're gone. Piled up newspapers are a clear sign you're out of town. Plus, they may credit your account for the days you don't get the paper.Shine a light
Minimize dark spots outside your home where burglars can hide. Turn on lights so that none of the windows or doorways are in darkness. Sensor lights activated by movement can also scare off unwelcome visitors.Make it look lived in
Use timers attached to lamps scattered throughout the house to light the inside of your home. These timers are great even if you aren't on vacation and can light up your house on nights you come home late.Turn it down
Turn the volume down or off on your phone and answering machine. Ringing phones and voicemails that criminals can hear from the outside are red flags that no one is home.Inform the service
If you have a home alarm service, let them know when you're going out of town. If a house sitter or friend is coming by to check on things, tell the alarm company that only one person has the right to be in your house while you're away. This "safe" list will come in handy in case your friend accidentally sets off the alarm. Plus, letting your home monitoring company know that you're out of town alerts them that if your alarm goes off and you can't be reached, they'll alert the authorities right away.Don't leave a key for burglars
Never hide a key anywhere outside of your home. Anyone watching your home will notice a pattern if the nanny, housekeeper or kids always go to the poolroom, shed or lift a planter before they open the front door.Keep it to yourself
When you're loading the car with luggage to leave for vacation, try not to let the whole neighborhood see you doing it. If possible, load your car inside the garage. You don't need to advertise you're going anywhere.
Home Security Tips - The Basics
Whether you're home, at work or taking a long vacation, there are many things you can do to protect your home and loved ones. From common sense tips like checking the peephole before opening the front door to ideas you may be unaware of, keep the following suggestions in mind to ensure the safety of your home:
- Light your home. Make sure entrance points are well lit. This includes front doors, back entrances and areas with windows close to the ground. Well-lit areas are less appealing to burglars because they don't want to be seen.
- Don't put expensive home items on display. Keep blinds or curtains shut in rooms with expensive electronics, jewelry or other valuable items when you can.
- Install 1-inch deadbolt locks on all exterior doors. Consider changing all the locks when you move into a new home.
- Keep garage doors shut - even if you're home.
- Install a home security system. If possible, look for companies that offer monitored systems. Some larger companies provide 24/7 home monitoring through these security centers.
- Make your home look occupied. Use timers attached to lamps scattered throughout the house to light the inside of your home. These timers are great even if you aren't on vacation and can light up your house on nights you come home late.
- Find a reliable neighbor you can trust, who will keep an eye on your home while you're out of town.
- Sliding glass patio doors can be easy break-in points. Secure them by placing a metal bar or pipe in the middle bottom track of the door slide. Make sure the pipe is the same length as the track.
- Always check the peephole before opening the door.
- Never leave house keys under mats, flower pots or other easily accessible/ obvious locations.
- Never leave a note. If you have a neighbor, service repair person, etc. coming to your home, don't leave a note on the door letting them know when you'll be back. This is another clear sign to burglars that no one is home.
- If you're leaving town or won't be home for a few days, turn down the ringer volume on the telephone. Unanswered phone calls area clear sign no one is there.
- Take a look at your landscaping. Make sure trees, bushes and other landscaping do not give burglars an easy place to hide.
- Put newspaper and mail delivery on hold if you're leaving town for an extended period of time. Piled up newspapers send the message that no one is home.