Keep your home safe from burglaries during the festive season
We’re all looking forward to the December holidays. Especially if we get the chance to get away and enjoy a time for family, food, and summer fun. However, it’s also the time when we see an increase in crime. It’s affectionately called the ‘silly season’, but we all know that it’s anything but ‘silly’. In fact, it can be downright devastating, particularly if you return and find that yours is 1 of the homes that has been broken into.
These 4 steps will help you keep your homely belongings safe and sound while you’re off making the most of your festive season.
1. Don’t leave your rubbish out.
Traditionally, December is the time to give and receive gifts which does lead to boxes and other packing material. Not only does the presence of rubbish left out for collection indicate that there’s more to be stolen in your home, but if the rubbish isn’t collected then it’s a good indicator that you’ve gone away.
Rather break these boxes down and take them out when the rubbish collectors arrive. If you’ve already gone away, then ask a good neighbour or friend who is staying in town for the holidays to check if the rubbish has been collected and if it hasn’t, to make arrangements for it to be out of sight.
#2. Check the ins and outs.
Before you leave home, it’s vital that you check your door locks and windows. You can then replace weak locks, fix broken windows, and do some maintenance on vulnerable areas so that when you leave Now, when you head out, you’ll have more peace of mind knowing that you’ve secured any potential weak spots.
#3. Don’t spread the word on social media
Some thieves like to plan their break-ins and use social media to see who is away in the neighbourhood that they’re interested in pilfering. While your holiday posts might seem harmless, depending on the privacy settings you’ve selected, a loosely connected stranger could see what you’re up to, find out where you live, and help themselves to your TV.
It’s worth fixing your privacy settings so that no 1 other than your friends can view your personal info, and thinking twice about posting explicit details about your comings and goings.
#4. Shroud your house in mystery.
There’s no need to give potential thieves a peep show into your valuables, the layout of your home, and even the type of house alarm that you have. So, when you leave, draw the curtains and keep valuables out of sight.
Not only is it a good idea to use these steps to keep your home safe from break-ins during the festive season, but it’s worth investing in household insurance. That way, even if something disastrous does happen, then at least an insurance policy will pay for the damages and replacements. Try chatting to King Price about their buildings and home contents insurance options, which will cover damages to the physical structures of your home, as well as items that belong to you and members of your household.
Also view:
Tips for increased Safety Awareness and Preventing House Robberies
