‘Tis the Season (for Break-Ins)

The holiday season is in full swing, and many of us end up traveling for extended periods of time.  This is prime time for thieves, especially as we begin stock piling our gifts for Christmas.  With Black Friday now behind us, many of our homes are filled with new televisions, expensive jewelry, and the latest gadgets and toys.  If you leave your home vacant and filled with these goodies, your local neighborhood robbers may have quite the Merry Christmas! Unless you have the kid from Home Alone staying at your place while you’re gone, you’ll want to follow some simple rules for keeping your home and your possessions safe and sound.

Keep Your Mouth Shut

Don’t talk openly about your upcoming vacation.  There will be plenty of time to talk to your neighbors and coworkers about your travels once you return.  Especially in the social media age, it is so easy to update your status with “at the airport” or “leaving town” or “I need this vacation.”  Save all of your statuses, location updates, and pictures from out of town until after you get back.

Make Appearances Deceiving

Utilize the help of your friends or neighbors to keep your house looking occupied while you’re gone.  Have them check your mail, mow your lawn, walk up and down your sidewalk if there’s snow, park in your driveway, etc.  Think of all the little things that are clues to people being home or not and get some help in making your home look as lived in as possible while you’re away.

Timing Is Everything

Timers are extremely helpful in tricking thieves into thinking you’re home, especially if you can change up the time each day.  Have lamps turn on in different rooms at different times.   Set your television to turn on and off randomly.  A few days before leaving for your trip, take notice of your habits throughout the day and evening, and set your timers accordingly to best match your normal routines.  A thief is much less likely to attempt a house with lights and televisions on than a home that’s been dark and quiet for days.

Obviously, a quality home security and alarm system is a critical tool to keeping your home safe while you’re away during the holiday season.  Not only will it serve as a deterrent to intruders, but also should they attempt, it will alert the necessary authorities to take immediate action.  Contact Watch Guard today if you are interested in taking this final step to home security!