Pre-Black Friday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have come and gone. In case you missed it, there are 24 more shopping days till Christmas, so you have plenty of time to find the perfect gift for loved ones or yourself!
While most of us celebrate, there are those who look to take advantage of others during this season. Break-ins occur during this time of year, and it’s not just cars. Thieves break in to homes too. Here are 6 steps you can take to prevent a home break in during a time of year we should be celebrating.
Lock all Openings: Take a moment to check each window and door to ensure they’re locked. Even windows on a second story should be locked. Criminals would rather not attract attention by breaking glass or kicking in a door, and too many home burglaries occur because a window or door is unlocked.
Use Automatic Timers: Buy several automatic timers and put them on various lights in different rooms. Set them to come on and go off at different times so it appears someone is moving from one room to another so they mimic what you do when you’re home. Save one of the timers to put on a TV or radio. The sound alone will make most burglars believe someone’s home. Do not, however, put one on a Christmas tree. No tree should ever be lit if no one’s home.
Don’t Advertise: Gifts should not be visible from any open window or door. Many people love to open a front window to display their tree as a part of their holiday decorations. If you do this, don’t put presents around the tree until Christmas Eve. Why tempt someone to window shop your home with beautifully wrapped presents under a tree or in gift bags from popular stores?
Once gifts are open, be sure to break the boxes down and / or cut them up into smaller pieces and place them in opaque trash bags before setting them out for pick up. Sticking boxes of a flat screen TV or other popular items out at the curb or in the alley advertises what you have and invites unwanted attention.
Package Delivery: If you’re ordering presents from your favorite online store, have them delivered to your office instead of your home when no one’s there. Boxes on your front porch invite someone to take them. If you can’t do that, schedule the delivery for a day when you’ll be home and are able to sign for them.
If you’re sending gifts to family who live in other cities, communicate where they should send your gifts, and confirm where they want gifts their shipped to. Coordinating your efforts helps protect you and your loved ones.
Travel Planning: If you’re traveling during the holidays, have your mail and paper delivery stopped and held until your return. This too advertises you’re away and invites unwanted attention.
Communicate the dates you’ll be away with the neighborhood watch, trusted neighbors, and even the local police precinct. They’ll keep an eye out for anything unusual. Have one of your trusted neighbors pick up any packages delivered in your absence, remove all door hangers, and park a car out front or in the drive way to make it appear someone’s home.
Social Media: With the advent of social media, we love to share what we’re doing as we experience it. Hold off on sharing you’re away and what you’re doing until after you return. Posting what you’re doing on Facebook, Google +, or Twitter only announces you’re away and provides an invitation to be robbed.
I hope you have an incredible holiday season and enjoy it to the fullest. With a little fore thought, you can help minimize the chance of being broken into and dealing with a loss that could ruin your holidays. Have a suggestion, comment, or question you’d like to share? Post them on our Google +, Facebook, or LinkedIn pages. I’d love to hear from you!
Happy Holidays!
