We’ve All Been There…

As the Holiday season is upon us, and the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and decorating is here, there is no a better time to talk about family. This is one of the biggest times of year for traveling to visit relatives and celebrate the spirit of giving. As we move in on the holidays, and we get ready to go visit the in-laws, we should take a step back to make sure that things at home are right before stepping out for a holiday weekend.

The Holidays Can Change Our Focus

Unfortunately when we think about holidays and being away from home, security is a major concern. Holiday season is full of food, traveling, family, and fun, but it is also unfortunately full of burglary. If you are planning to travel this holiday season, then the chances of your home to be burglarized are increased. Burglar alarms for homes are designed to give you peace of mind while traveling, so security isn’t on your mind during the holidays. So, this season, secure your home before heading out for the holidays with a home burglar alarm system.

An Once of Prevention Can Go a Long Way

If you don’t have an alarm system, there are still things you can do to make sure your home is safe while you’re away, it just takes a conscious effort. A few extra precautionary steps can help you in this regard. Read the points below to add a level of security to your home around the holidays:

Simple steps…

• Don’t advertise your holiday trip on social media. Burglars often look for signs that you will be away from home for an extended period of time, and this will make your home an easy target.
• Do not leave any message on the answering machine informing people that you are away for the holidays, by doing this you may inform the burglar that they have plenty of time for a break in.
• Before leaving your home, Notify a close neighbor or loved one of your trip, and have them check on your home daily while you are away.
• If you hang Christmas lights outside the home, make sure the power cord is connected to the outside of the home instead of through an open window.
• Do not display your family name on your house or mailbox. Burglars can access your contact number from the telephone directory and call you, even from in front of your house, just to ensure that you are away from home.

For the home…

• Burglary is not the only thing you worry about while you are visiting family during the holidays. There are other worries too, such as home fires and freezing pipes. Here are a few tips to keep your home safe from these things as well.
• Install a smart thermostat. This will inform you if temperatures rise or drop too quickly. A rapid increase in temperature could mean a home fire, while a rapid drop in temperature could mean that your furnace isn’t working. Even if you are on vacation, finding out about your freezing pipes quickly can save you thousands of dollars in repairs.
• Unplug any electronics before leaving for the holidays. One of the most common, and most dangerous causes of home fires is electronic devices. Keeping this unplugged while away can reduce your risk of a fire.
• Christmas trees are one of the most common fire starters during the holidays. If you use a real Christmas tree, consider taking it down before leaving. A dry Christmas tree acts as tinder for those overused Christmas lights.

And just remember…

• Clean up any trash or plastics before heading out. Paper and other garbage are dangerous fire starters.
• Check your electrical system, pipes, furnace, and air conditioning system for damage before leaving the home. The malfunctioning of this equipment can cause a home fire.
• Ensure gutters are clean and that there are no leaves, lawn clippings, or trash piled up next to the home.

So Let’s Put It All Together

Finally, consider home security systems or burglary protection systems for your security during the holidays. This technology is designed so that you don’t have to worry about things like these. If something does happen, you are notified on your smart-phone immediately, and you already know help is on the way.