Keep Your Home Safe When Leaving for the Holidays
If you are heading out of town for the holidays, for a long weekend or for a week, it’s a prudent idea to have a checklist of To-Do’s to ensure your home’s safety. Unfortunately this most wonderful time of year also brings about a rise in theft and burglaries. According to CNN Money burglaries peak during December because would-be thieves know people are on vacation, or are out shopping or visiting all day. Here’s our thorough guide to keeping your home safe and looking “occupied”.
Use these sectioned checklists:
Electronic
- Put timers on several lights around the house, including your holiday lights and front/back porch lights. Have the timers go on and off at varying times, so an obviously unoccupied, dark home doesn’t suddenly all light up at 4:30pm. Winter hours mean dark mornings–set timers to also turn on 6:00-9:00am.
- Double-check indoor/outdoor holiday lights and wiring. Don’t leave any fire hazards.
- Unplug your automatic garage door opener so thieves can’t open it with a universal remote.
- If you’ve got a security system, a video doorbell, or motion detector lights, check to make sure it’s working properly.
