How to keep your home safe during the Christmas period
Posted on Friday, November 16th, 2018
Christmas may be the most magical time of the year but unfortunately, that magic can sometimes be ruined. Extra caution should be aired in and around your home to ensure the Christmas period is as safe as possible for you and your family to keep that magic alive.
We are on hand to deliver some of the top tips to keep your home safe during the Christmas period.
Christmas presents
Leaving Christmas presents under the tree can be far too tempting of an opportunity for burglars, particularly if the house is left empty for long periods of time. A recent survey revealed that over 25% of homeowners in the UK leave gifts under the tree before the 25th and leave them in a location where they may be visible to people outside of the home.
If you are leaving the house, it is advisable to lock presents away and only bring them out on Christmas Eve. In further regards to Christmas presents, you should not post any photos of your presents on social media, you may be dying to show off your new smartphone but any opportunist thief will be just as excited as you.
Alert your neighbours
If you are away during the Christmas period or are out of the house for most of the day, ask a neighbour or friend to move any post that may get caught in your letterbox. You should never request that a parcel be left outside or in your garden in the online delivery options, even if it is somewhere you consider to be a hidden location. Similarly, you should never leave a key in an outside “hidden” location, this could take just minutes for a burglar to find and devastate your Christmas whilst also completely invalidating your home insurance.
Keep your travel plans offline
You may be bursting with excitement about the fact you are off to chase some winter sun and whilst you are sure to be desperate to share your plans with your Facebook friends, or post some holiday snaps on Instagram, your holiday should be kept off all of your social media networks.
You should never post where you are going, when you are leaving and when you will be back as this information can prove extremely helpful to burglars. Regardless of how private you consider your social networks to be, such information should never be shared.
Watch your Christmas lights
Burglars are not the only thing your home needs protecting from as Christmas lights can also prove devastating. December is the deadliest month for electrical fires owing to the number of Christmas tree and fairy lights on display. Before you display any lights, inspect the wires for any frayed cords or cracked bulbs. Any broken lamps should be replaced and lights with frayed cords should be disposed of accordingly, such simple measures will help to prevent potentially deadly fires.
As pretty and inviting as your lights may be, you should turn them off before you head out for the evening and before you go to bed. An outdoor timer or smart outlet will help you to set a schedule for lights to turn on and off automatically so you do not have to worry about remembering.