Keep travel plans offline!
You never know who may be viewing your social media profiles. Posting about your travel plans may seem like a great idea but think again – you could be tipping off potential burglars that your home will be unoccupied. Even if your profile is private, there may be people on your friends list that are looking for victims. In fact, 65 percent of all burglars know their victim. Only tell your closest friends, family, and a trusted neighbor that you will be away.
Hide packages and gifts inside and outside of your home!
Wrapped gifts look nice underneath the tree to not only your guests but also potential burglars. Just think about it… whenever you are holding a present, your imagination goes wild. What could be in the box? The same thing happens for burglars. It is best to just keep all the presents in an area that is hidden from the outside world. Christmas season is a notorious time for thieves to steal packages from porches. It is much easier to get your hands on a package that is outside than it is to break into a home and steal packages. Consider adding a doorbell camera or an outside security camera to scare away burglars or catch them in the act.
Be careful with Christmas lights.
Christmas lights are bright and fun and definitely help get people in the Christmas spirit. However, there are some potential risks to using indoor and outdoor lights. Following these tips can help migrate those risks:
- Turn off lights whenever you are away from your home or sleeping.
- Only use lights certified by Underwriters Laboratories. Look for the UL symbol on the box.
- Inspect the lights before use. Look for broken or loose bulbs and frayed or exposed wires.
- DO NOT overload power strips.
- Never use lights intended for outdoor use inside of your home. Use low-heat LED lights for indoor Christmas trees.
The holiday season is all about getting together with friends and family and making new memories. These tips are a good start to protecting your home and family, but the more safety precautions you take, the better. We offer plenty of affordable security camera systems, which are a great safety measure year-round. If despite your best efforts your home is still burglarized or a fire takes place over the holidays, don’t panic – that’s what homeowners insurance is for.