What to Do Now that Christmas Is Over

Christmas is over, and the hustle and bustle of the season is beginning to slow down.  As you catch your breath for the first time in the last month, you look around at all the Christmas clutter scattered across your house.  Peeking out under it all, though, you see glimpses of your new gifts – jewelry, tablets, cell phones, televisions, computers, video games, furniture, etc.  You know how much you’re loving them, but what do you need to do now to keep them safe?

Make It Official

Many electronics, technology, and appliances have the ability to be registered with the company.  This allows you to not only keep track of any recalls, updates, and warranty information, but it also often allows for tracking should your gift ever get lost or stolen.  Be sure to file away in a safe place any related paperwork, as well.  For any high dollar items, you should call your insurance company and update your policy to be sure your new gifts are covered.  Taking pictures of these items in your home is also important for your records.

Don’t Brag About It

I’m sure you saw the countless pictures of unwrapping gifts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all throughout the day on Christmas.  If you choose to post pictures of your gift-giving fun, be careful to avoid your big-ticket items.  If you publicize all the valuable gifts now in your home, you are just asking for some friend or follower to come help themselves to your new treasures.  You also want to be careful with what you put on the curb in the trash for your neighbors to see.  Those big screen television boxes waiting for the trash truck are announcing what’s now inside your home ready for the taking.

Protect It

If you haven’t already done so, you may want to consider investing in a home security system to protect your newly received gifts.  You can take all the preventative and proactive measures possible to avoid a break-in; but when it comes down to it, sometimes there is just nothing you can do except stop it when it starts.  A quality alarm system can scare away intruders, alert you and the authorities, and serve as a strong safeguard for your family and your valuables.

If you are interested in how Watch Guard can help secure your new Christmas treasures, please give us a call today!

‘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!

Three Reasons to Choose Watch Guard

As with any business, we understand you have options when it comes to your home’s security.  That is why we at Watch Guard Alarms know we need to earn your patronage every day -- through genuine service, free of gimmicks or tactics.  There are many reasons why we believe you should choose us for your security technology needs, but three of the most important are Ownership, Quality, and Freedom.

Ownership

Many security companies rent out their equipment for your use.  They come into your home and install the equipment, but then if you decide to switch companies, you must return everything.  The good thing about our company is that you become the owner – for good.  Should you decide to leave us, the equipment stays with you, along with all the manuals for the next company you hire.

Quality

Every company talks about the quality of their products and why they’re superior.  However, at Watch Guard, our quality is measurable.  Other security companies use the cheapest equipment possible, such as passive infra-red (PIR) motion detectors.  These are all good and well – until you get a false alarm from another source of infra-red energy (such as sunlight or a heating vent).  Watch Guard uses only dual technology detectors in order to eliminate these false alarms, which waste emergency personnel’s time and could end up costing you money.

Freedom

Have you ever felt powerless or trapped because of your long-term contracts?  Many other security companies like to lock you in for years at a time, making you pay your contract balance should you want to leave them.  This is not realistic, though, as your satisfaction and needs may change throughout the course of your term.  At Watch Guard Alarms, we want to keep your business because you are happy with us, not because you are bound by a contract.  That is why we offer 1 year terms for our monitoring contracts, leaving you with the freedom to be in control of your home security.

With all the choices out there, we know it can be overwhelming when it comes down to narrowing your security options.  Let us help make it easier for you by giving us a call.  We’ll visit your home, perform a complete security survey, and design a system based on your specific needs and concerns.  No pressure, just the facts.  The decision is up to you, but we would look forward to protecting your home and proving to you the difference found in Watch Guard’s Ownership, Quality, and Freedom!