Keep your home safe and secure this holiday season

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is important to be as vigilant as ever when it comes to keeping our homes and family safe and secure. 

There is so much going on at this time year and it’s easy to become complacent with our home safety and security. In Australia, the hot weather, makes us more inclined to leave the house open while we enjoy our backyards or pools. This, combined with many families going away on holidays leaving houses empty, and opportunistic thieves looking to do some Christmas shopping from under the Christmas tree, it’s easy to see why the summer holidays are a peak time for residential robberies. As well as break-in’s there’s also the risk of damage happening while you’re away with storm season approaching us. 

Here’s a few tips to keep your homes safe and secure over the festive season.

1. Don’t post pictures of gifts on social media, and don’t post your whereabouts, particularly if you are on holidays. Thieves can use insight from social media, such as Facebook status updates, to target homes.

2. Make your home look like someone is there, even if it’s empty.

For example:

• Ask a neighbour or the complex caretaker to collect mail and put your bins out on bin night
• Park a car on your driveway so it looks like someone is home
• Use timers to turn your lights on and off periodically.
• Don’t leave washing on the line the whole time you’re away.
• Make sure the lawns a mown and the gardens look tidy and cared for.
• Get a house sitter or friend to stay in the house for some or all of the time that you’re away.

3. Ensure you test your smoke alarms before you go on holiday.

4. Before you head away on holiday check that your gutters are clean and there are no tree branches that look like they could fall and hit the house if there is a big storm with heavy rain or strong winds.

5. Eliminate potential hiding spots by cutting back plants around the house and install motion-sensor flood lighting to startle a thief if they approach the home at night.

6. Consider installing a home security system

7. Even though the weather is hot, don’t leave windows open or doors unlocked when you leave the house, or use the backyard/pool etc. Use window locks and consider upgrading fly-screens with security mesh. This applies even if you’re living in a gated community. You might know and trust your neighbours, but do you know and trust everyone’s visitors?

8. Never hide a key outside your home especially in obvious hiding spots…like under the mat or a pot at your front door! It’s better to leave it with a friend, or family member. 

9. Don’t put Christmas trees and presents near windows that are visible to the street as this can invite opportunistic burglars to break in.

10. After Christmas, don’t pile up boxes from expensive purchases outside your home. If the burglar knows its worth the effort to break in, they may choose your house over someone else’s. 

The above tips will help keep your home safe and secure to let you and your family relax and enjoy the festive season. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]