Many people leave home over the festive season to visit family or spend Christmas abroad, and burglars know that more houses than usual are standing empty. Nothing ruins a family Christmas like coming home to a break-in.
The tactics burglars use to spot an empty property are the same ones you’ll remember from Home Alone, and they work just as well in real life. These simple steps make sure your home isn’t the easy option this year.
Keep your plans off social media
Resist the urge to tell Facebook friends and Instagram followers that you’re going away. Anything you post online may be public, so you might as well be telling the whole neighbourhood the house will be empty for a week. Save the holiday snaps and status updates until you’re back home.
Ask a neighbour to keep an eye out
If your neighbours are staying put for the holidays, ask them to watch the property. They can draw the curtains each evening, collect post so it doesn’t pile up, and park on your drive or outside your house now and then. All of this gives the impression someone is home, which makes burglars think twice about the risk of being caught.
Make the house look lived in
- Put lamps and a radio on plug-in timers
- Use a smartphone app to switch lights or heating remotely
- Ask a neighbour to clear post and parcels
- Fit motion-sensor lighting at the front and back
Light up the outside
Burglars prefer to work in the dark. Outdoor lighting with motion sensors makes them far easier to spot, and a light that snaps on as someone approaches is often enough to send them elsewhere. Make sure the front, back and any side access are covered.
Use timers and smart plugs
Lights that switch on at sensible times, with the odd radio or TV, are a simple way to fake an occupied home. A basic timer on any plug socket will do the job, or you can use a smartphone app and control lights or the heating from wherever you are in the world.
Add CCTV for peace of mind
Many homes now have CCTV installed to deter or catch intruders. Outside cameras are a proven deterrent, and if anyone does target your house while you’re away, you can alert the police straight away and give them footage that improves the chances of catching the culprit. You can read more in our wider guide to protecting your home through the year.
Happy holidays, from all of us at Assured Security.
