Holidays are a great time for family and friends to come closer together. People’s views on the world change and are typically friendlier all around. However, burglars and criminals don’t always have ‘the Holiday spirit’. They know that this time of the year can be a great time to break and enter into a unsecured home to steal high end items. With millions of people going on vacations, finding a vacant home during the Holidays can be a breeze. Follow these three ways to secure your home during the Holiday season to make sure it can be enjoyed by all.
1 – Get a Security System regardless of Costs
Home security has become affordable for users across the world. No longer must users get their home taken apart to run wires throughout. Alarm Reviews states that you can get one of the best security systems available for under $2 a day. When comparing this to other utility bills, it is a minor payment and can alert you when a burglar enters the home.
Users who do choose to get a monitored home security system will enjoy the peace of mind and control over their home. While visiting relatives on Holiday, users can view what is going on in their home from a smart device. They can also set up emergency contacts so if there is a break in the neighbors or nearby friends can be notified as well. Most security systems have a contract agreement for three years which is standard and by signing up with this, users can get a free alarm system installed.
2 – Make it look like someone is at Home
Burglars are far more likely less to enter if someone appears to be at home. MSN gave 8 tips to make it look like you are at home even when you may not be.
These include:
- Keep mail off the doorstep
- Keep newspapers picked up (pay a neighbor or friend to come by the home)
- Setup automated lights
- If it snowed, have someone shovel it or a path
- Make sure the trash can isn’t left out in the street
- Enable smart shades that go up and down depending on the time of the day
You don’t need to turn the home into a Home Alone project but have common sense about it. If mail is stacked up for weeks at a time it doesn’t take a genius to know it may be easy to get inside.
3 – Setup Outdoor Surveillance Cameras
Having outdoor security cameras is a huge deterrent to criminal activity. Businesses use them and smart homeowners alike should too. By putting yourself in the mindset of a robber, are you more likely to break into the home with cameras on the outside or the home with none? The Security Camera Pros show that the overwhelming feeling on setup can be overcome with simple security cameras. They don’t need to be complex as a retail store and some are wireless now.
Make sure to place the surveillance cameras in a place that both the bad guys can see and that gives you a good overall view of the street and driveway. Typically one on each corner that a user’s wants to be able to view is smart. These will cost more out of pocket than our #1 tip of a security system but once bought there is no monthly charge for upkeep. Camera footage can be saved to DVR or stored on the cloud for a small service fee.
No matter where one goes this Holiday, always make sure you are leaving the home secured. The worst thing would be to get back from a trip only to find out your belongings have been stolen and your peace of mind is gone. Better than having someone damper with