Christmas comes in just a few weeks, and this means that you are very likely to leave your home to see your parents on the other side of the country. The problem with this scenario lies in the fact that you’re leaving your home off-hand. Statistics says that criminal activity around the country raises by 3-5 times on Christmas. For this reason we offer you several ways to secure your home and protect your belongings this year.
1. Ask someone to secure your home
Most burglars and other criminals wouldn’t dare getting into a house that is regularly attended by a human being. So the best way to secure your home is to ask your neighbor to keep an eye on your property. Of course, appreciate people’s time and efforts and don’t ask them doing dozens of choruses around the house. Yet, you can pay your neighbor’s kid to clean your yard from snow or mow your lawn, you can ask neighbors to water flowers once a week or take your daily newspaper. Even this short and simple presence of someone around the house once in a couple of days can save you from robberies.
2. Install a security system
The second most effective way to secure your home is the installation of a security system. You can install it on all windows and doors of your home; you can also opt for movement detectors inside of your home, etc. The options you have in this respect are huge, so it’s always better to consult a professional security installer to ensure that you get the right system for your type of property. And if you got interested in installation, you can leave your request with our website below to receive a consultation and book an expert in your city to secure your home this vacation.
3. Stop the mail
If you’re leaving your home for at least a week then the mail on Christmas will pile up in your mail box. And this is a perfect sign that the house has been unattended for a while. On the one hand you can ask a neighbor to pick up your mail a couple of times a week, yet if your neighborhood is under supervision of villains, this might not do the trick. And for this kind of situation you can opt for a USPS stop delivery service. In this way you can ask the post office to keep all your incoming mail and then you’ll pick it up whenever you can. Should you be using any other mail services, they have this “stop mail” service as well.
4. Install timers
Dark houses on vacation times always seem inviting for unpleasant guests. So you need to ensure that you secure your home with light in the street and from the inside. Of course, you don’t want to pay for electricity that you don’t really use while you out. So what can you do? The era of technological advancements brought to the surface the idea of timers that can be installed for any kind of electronics in your home. You can get a couple of them and set your TV on once or twice a day, you can play with light switches, radio, and anything else you want. There are even such timers that are regulated via your smartphone for better control.
5. Beware of Social Media
One of the worst mistakes you can make about leaving your house for long is telling about it on social media platforms. It’s a common mistake to post pictures of your great vacations with geo tags to show your friends that you’re having a great time. Yet, this is the worst mistake ever! By posting images with geo location on your news feed you tell the whole world which includes burglars and criminals that you’re out of your home for a long time. Don’t make this stupid and pitiful mistake! Secure your home by sharing your images through private message or in general withhold yourself from this necessity. It can help you truly appreciate your Christmas vacation with the family and maybe even prevent the crime.
6. Hire a house sitter
This is the most radical, yet effective technique. If you don’t have friends or neighbors who will keep an eye on your home during Christmas, then you can simply hire a house sitter. This is a special person who will either come several times a day to your home or will just live in it during the vacation period. Of course, in this case you will have to sign a detailed contract to ensure that this home sitter doesn’t destroy your home during the vacation with parties.
7. Take care of home security
One of the simplest rules to secure your home is to lock everything up. While it sounds dull, it is truly important. You need to close up not only main entrance doors, but also all windows and backyard doors; check your attic and garage if you have one to make sure that no one can enter your house through them. And the second tip of home security is not to leave spare keys in the street. Lots of Americans leave their spare keys under the door mat, in the flower pot next to the door, or on top of the door way. Don’t make this most stupid mistake by leaving a welcoming gesture of spare keys for unwanted guests.
