Just when your immersed in the busiest time of the year, dashing around from school plays, to the office to finish those last bits and panic shopping your Christmas gifts the very last thing you’re often thinking about is what you’re leaving behind…Your home.
But this is the very time when your home is most at risk of break-ins and sadly, theft. We’ve put together the following reminders and tips to help keep your home safe during the festive season.
Would-be burglars tend to be either chancers or those who have taken a little time to study the behaviour of their victims. A chancer is going to be relying on you accidentally leaving a door or window open, they’ll probably try a number of houses in your street until they get lucky. Double check your habits every time you leave the house to make sure everything is locked and your alarm is activated.
Remember if your house was burgled and it is equipped with an alarm which wasn’t turned on this may affect any insurance claim. The festive season is a good excuse to make sure items around your home are covered and up to date with your insurers.
A more analytical burglar is going to be looking for patterns in when you leave the house or when your house is empty. They’ll have selected your home in particular as they’ll know they are taking less of a chance of getting caught. Again, always check you’ve fully locked doors and windows, not forgetting the conservatory for example, and activate your alarm. Utilise tools such as timer lamps and CCTV to act as deterrents.
It’s lovely to see all the Christmas presents under the tree – but unfortunately, this is exactly what a would-be thief is looking for. No matter how tempted you are, keep your previous gifts hidden and well out of sight. If you’re really worried about your high-end gifts, marking them with an ultra-violet pen will enable the police to track them down more easily in the event that they do get stolen.
With so much shopping going on – taking care online is important too. Be sure to check your online privacy settings and also be aware of where you’re buying from – if it’s looks too good to be true, it probably is!
Think about what you put on social media too – as tempting as it might be to post that you’re off on holiday, this might act as advertisement that your home is empty for the holidays. Making it a prime target.
As well as making sure you don’t advertise your gifts to thieves at home – the same goes for your car. Storing your gifts in the car away from prying eyes, might mean that they catch the eye of potential thieves.
The same goes for when you’re shopping – always be conscious of who might be watching you load your gifts in to the car. Chance are you’ll make several drop off trips before you’ve finished – Leaving your car unattended with your newly purchased presents inside. Try to conceal your bags in the boot and make sure to keep expensive items with you.
Whilst it’s not a pleasant subject, taking extra care over Christmas is the best way to ensure that everyone has a happy Christmas – after all, what’s Christmas without presents?
If you have any other safety tips you’d like to share with us or our customers – head over to our Facebook or Twitter pages. Or for some festive fun ideas – check out our Pinterest boards.
