The holiday season is an exciting time of the year also applies to all sorts of criminals who are eagerly waiting for homes to be empty and neighborhoods to be less busy.
If you have plans to spend more time outside your home, then you have to make sure that your house is protected from unwanted guests. This also covers your home’s premises, as you don’t want your belongings and/or package deliveries to be preyed on by petty thieves.
From October 2017 through September 2018, there are more than 100 cases of United States Postal Service (USPS) customers losing their packages that were supposedly delivered correctly, as confirmed by the agency. Twenty of those cases happened—unsurprisingly—during the holidays.
According to Kristy L. Anderson, a spokeswoman for the USPS’s Northland-Hawkeye Districts, “It becomes an issue, particularly around the holiday season when people are having items shipped to their residence for Christmas and things like that. The criminals involved in this type of theft are aware of that.”
Tips to Ensure the Safety of Your Home During the Holidays
Avoid becoming another crime statistic by taking heed of these tips in securing your home while you’re away:
Install a Home Security System
It really is the best way to protect your home from intruders. There are so many options available for home security systems that you can get a decent setup even on a modest budget. There are even DIY options that send an alert on your smartphone in case something went wrong. You can easily monitor your home via your phone, which will definitely give you peace of mind even while you’re on the road.
Of course, if you do have extra money to spare, it totally wouldn’t hurt investing in more advanced security systems, such as alarms that instantly alert the security company and then notify the local police when tripped. Now this can be pricey, but if you have a large house and expensive things lying around, this is definitely worth the investment.
There are homes that are more vulnerable than the others, or those that belong to VIPs. In this case, an extra help is needed in the form of estate security. Luckily, we at World Protection Group offer comprehensive security programs for private residences and estates with 24-hour, 7 day-a-week coverage and response.
Keep the Lights On
It’s not advisable to turn all the lights off whenever you leave your house, because you don’t want to give the impression that your home is completely empty. But this doesn’t mean you have to keep all the lights on, as it really doesn’t help the environment. What you can do is simply switch on a bathroom light or two to make it look like there’s someone in the house.
Leave the Radio or TV On
Together with the lights, you can also leave a television or a radio on to make it look like there’s really someone there.
Bring Your Hidden Key
Keeping a spare key under the doormat or a potted plant has weirdly been a common practice. It’s charming, but definitely not wise especially during the holiday season. Instead, why not have a smart lock installed on your front door. This can be opened by simply pressing a PIN code on a keypad, so visitors, guests, and/or tenants can enter without using a physical key.
Install Outdoor Lights
A dark yard is an invitation for intruders to go creeping around your property. They may not go inside, but they can spend time looking at every angle of your house and perhaps come up several ways to rob it.
Keep your premises illuminated with motion sensors so intruders will think twice about messing with your property. Also, this will allow your neighbors to see if there is someone lurking around your property, which they can immediately report to you or the authorities.
Ask Somebody to Get Your Packages
Unclaimed mail, newspapers, and packages in front of your house are clear signs that nobody’s home. Before you leave for vacation, ask your trusted neighbor to discreetly pick these up daily. This will also prevent your packages from being stolen.
Avoid Fire Hazards
You can decorate your house all you want for the holidays, but make sure that they don’t pose any safety risks. Faulty Christmas lights, along with candles and fireplaces, can make your home prone to fire. You don’t have to keep these lights on 24/7, so make sure you switch them off before you leave.
Keep Quiet on Social Media
Yes, it’s only natural for you to get excited about your wonderful vacation and for your social media to be brimming with holiday photos. However, you might want to skip the latter for security reasons.
Posting vacation pictures on social media signifies that you’re not home, which is somewhat a go-signal for intruders. Keep this information to yourself and a few family members or friends in order to ensure the safety of your home.
Don’t Let Intruders Ruin Your Holidays
Having a merry Christmas means not having to worry about your home’s safety while you’re out with friends or family.
If you need more extensive security, then consider hiring experts who will keep a constant eye on your property. The World Protection Group can provide armed and unarmed executive protection agents to safeguard your property.
In addition, we have electronic security systems and access control, as well as perimeter tours, barriers, and alarms, all of which aim to keep your home protected inside out.
Our team will also review and optimize your security policies and procedures, and provide appropriate security awareness training for your family, staff, and visitors, so be sure to contact the World Protection Group right now.
