10 Tips to Protect Your Home During the Holiday Season:

The holidays are coming and with them an increased need for security in your home. After all, not only are you now concerned with protecting your home and family, but you also have to look after the many priceless presents that you have bought for your friends and family members. Here are some of the best tips for protecting your house this holiday season.

1. Lock Your Door

This might seem incredibly obvious, but most burglaries occur out of nothing more than convenience. What this means is that any time you leave your door unlocked, you are unwittingly inviting intruders into your home. It is such a simple thing to do, but so many people still forget. Make sure you are not one of those people.

2. Don’t Hide A Spare Key

You might think that you are doing the right thing by storing a spare key under the doormat or in a fake rock. However, burglars are well aware of these techniques and it is the first thing that they will look for when they try to break in. A far better option is to install a keypad entry that requires a code. If you don’t want to do this, give a spare key to a trusted neighbor instead of hiding it.

3. Protect Your Windows

Most break ins happen through windows and doors on the ground level. Protecting these windows is important. You can do so with alarms and sensors, or even by just inserting a piece of wood in the window track to prevent it from being slid open.

4. Install Motion Detectors

As the ground floor is where burglars enter, it is also a good idea to put motion detectors in rooms around the first floor of your house.

5. Install Security Cameras

Security cameras not only allow you to see when someone is trying to break into your home, but they are also one of the most powerful tools to prevent it from happening in the first place. If a potential burglar sees a security camera, they are likely to decide that your house is not worth the effort. As a result, even a dummy camera can be enough to deter them.

6. Let People Know You Have Security

As with cameras, new home security systems in general can be enough to deter a criminal. So if you have a system, make sure that people know that your house is protected. You can do this by displaying a sign or even just making your alarm visible.

7. Don’t Broadcast Your Whereabouts

With social media being as prevalent as it is these days, you can find just about anything that you want online, including where a person is at any given time. You can see why this would be a security issue. Try not to let the entire world know when you are out of the house.

8. Hide Your Presents

Just as you don’t want the world to know when you are not at home, you don’t want them to know exactly what goodies you have stored in your house. Keep your presents out of plain sight, and even if someone does break in, it might be harder for them to find them.

9. Secure Every Door

A lot of people neglect their garage doors and back or side doors to their homes. This could provide an easy entrance for an unwanted intruder.

10. Install a Home Security System

Obviously the best way to increase home security is to invest in a home security system. It can raise the value of your house and protect everything that you love. It is a big decision, but if you make it, you will not regret it.