Our Top 10 Better Home Security Tips This Christmas

As Christmas approaches, you should be making sure you keep your home and belongings safe and secure. Unfortunately, though, the holiday season is the perfect time for any burglar to attempt to break into homes and help themselves to the presents you’ve bought or received.

Burglary rates soar during the holiday season because intruders know that people leave their homes unattended as they party and enjoy the Christmas festivities. They also know:

• Expensive Christmas gifts, toys and presents are easy to steal
• Longer dark evenings, present the perfect opportunity for thieves to go unnoticed
• Homes are left empty as people visit families and party
• Less vigilant neighbours don’t spot suspicious activity
• Properties with no alarm system or CCTV are prime targets

We do not want you to become one of the annual burglary statistics. To help you to stay protected this year, we’ve put together our top 10, great Christmas home security tips to keep you safe.

1. Monitored Home Security System

If you haven’t considered one already, get a monitored home security system installed to ensure that while you are away from home, if anyone does try to break into your property, the system will be there to offer protection and warn off any intruders.

Most companies who provide monitored security systems offer a range of services so you can choose the level of service and protection you require. The average monthly cost for a home security system varies depending on the features and level of monitoring you need, making it a worthwhile investment for your peace of mind during the holiday season.

2. Home Burglar Alarm System

If you don’t have a burglar or a fire alarm system fitted, you should think about getting one. These are considered the starting point for any security system and provide an extremely effective deterrent. Any intruder who spots the wall mounted alarm box on the outside of the property, will steer clear or look for a house with less visible security.

Modern day intruder alarms and security systems are supplied with motion sensing devices that can be mounted around the house and will trigger the alarm in the event of someone breaking in. The sound of the alarm is likely to scare the intruder into leaving empty handed.

Get into the habit of every time you go out anywhere setting the alarm to ensure you are protected at all times.

3. Fit Security Cameras & CCTV

In addition to a monitored home security system, we also strongly recommend setting up security cameras including some CCTV cameras inside your house and around the perimeter of your property. Anyone approaching your home will see the cameras and think twice about trying to break in. Camera systems with motion detectors can alert you to when someone approaches your home so you can remain watchful wherever you are.

The benefit of CCTV and security cameras is the ability to record the footage and play this back. So, if you are targeted by someone trying to break in, you will have a record of this that could be supplied to police.

4. Automated Lighting.

Having the lights on in a property is one of the most effective ways to deter burglars. They are more likely to approach a house that is in total darkness.
As the evening gets darker the closer it gets to Christmas, if you’ve got automated lighting in your home, use it to make it look like someone is in the house. Pre-programmable systems can be set up to turn the lights on and off at whatever time you want to make it appear that someone is at home.

It’s not just inside either, consider fitting good quality exterior lighting that features PIR motion sensing technology that will switch the lights on as soon as they detect any movement.

5. Close and Lock All Windows & Doors.

Most burglaries occur through doors, closely followed by windows. They represent the biggest threat to home security so make sure you do everything you can to prevent unlawful entry. It is therefore important to make sure you keep your door and window closers and locks in good condition to ensure they operate correctly.

Before you leave home make sure you have closed and securely locked all windows in your home. It might be nice to let some air into the property while you’re not there, but this could lead to intruders trying to force their way into your home through any small opening. Don’t take the risk this Christmas and make sure you close and lock all the opening windows and protect yourself.

Don’t leave any window lock keys in the handles either. Take them out and keep them in a safe place. If a burglar spots the key in place, they may smash the glass before opening the window to make it easier to get inside.

6. Don’t Check-in On Social Media

It seems that whenever we go anywhere, we have gotten into the habit of ‘checking-in’ on our favourite social media apps to tell all our followers where we are. Christmas is no different as we love to post our favourite photos from parties and get togethers.

Unsurprisingly, this tactic is being used by intruders and thieves to help them target you when they know you are not at home. If you are away in the run-up to Christmas or over the festive season, be careful what you post online and don’t give away too much information.

It’s not just social media. Don’t have telephone messages that tells callers that you are aware from home for an extended period over the holiday and don’t put any notes to delivery company drivers who might be leaving a package for you. Again a burglar may see this and target your property.

7. Don’t Leave Wrapped Presents Visible

Once you’ve wrapped your presents, instead of placing them under the tree well in advance of the big day, store them somewhere safe, like a cupboard, under a bed or in the loft. Keep them out of view until Christmas Eve.

It is likely that if a burglar cannot see anything that they could easily steal, they will probably move onto another property leaving yours safe and secure.

8. Be Thoughtful About Rubbish.

If you have bought some expensive presents or large boxed items that need to be put into the bin and disposed of, make sure you do it carefully. Don’t leave packaging hanging out of a bin outside your home as this could alert a burglar to what Christmas gifts might be inside.

If possible keep bins out of sight and somewhere secure to prevent anyone from getting access and seeing what is inside.

9. Leave Your Home Looking As Though Someone’s At Home.

If you’re out at work all day in the run up to the holiday, or you are away visiting family over the festive period, make sure your home looks like someone is in. This could be something as simple as leaving your Christmas tree lights on or leaving a car on the drive.

If you’re out in the evenings, close the curtains and blinds to ensure people cannot look in through the windows.

10. Tell Your Neighbours You’re Away & Make Plans.

Finally, if you are planning to go away at Christmas, before you do ensure you take any steps that can help protect you from the potential of an intruder breaking in. Be sure to let your neighbours know that you are going to be away for a few days and ask them to keep an eye on your home for you. If they see or hear anything suspicious give them your contact number to call or advise them to call the Police.

You should also take the opportunity to cancel any delivery services such as milk being delivered. If you’re not at home and your deliveries keep arriving, the build up outside the front door will be a clear message to any intruder that no-one is at home.

From installing the best security systems and automated lighting through to employing common sense techniques, the benefits of installing a home security system conclusively outway the cost and will help keep you safe and secure during the Christmas period. By taking these actions, you are putting in place the most successful deterrents to try and protect your home from burglars and intruders during the holidays.

What’s more, adding more security products to your property and increasing the number of theft deterrents fitted, you are doing everything you can to limit the risk of being targeted by thieves. You will also benefit greatly when it comes to buying annual home insurance. Insurance companies will provide greater levels of discount if you have lots of different devices fitted to deter burglars.

At Network Security, we can provide great advice and guidance on how to keep your property secure and provide leading solutions to achieve this. We want you to have a stress and worry-free Christmas holiday, and to ensure that whenever you return home, you are not greeted with the devastating sight of the aftermath from a break-in.