The holidays are here again. Houstonians spend time with family and friends and start shopping right after Thanksgiving dinner (and sometimes before). People aren’t at home often. Sometimes in the rush, doors are left unlocked and the alarm system isn’t armed, compromising your home’s security.
Thieves know you’re not home. They take the holidays to ruin your joy in the season, so you shouldn’t neglect your home security in your rush to join the festivities.
Here are our top home security tips for the holidays:
- Don’t give in to the temptation of sharing all the anticipation and or fun on your social media sites. Thieves often follow social media to identify opportunity. A warning – you should unfollow and unfriend people you don’t know as well as block people you don’t know from accessing your social media updates.
- Make sure all the doors and windows in your house are closed properly and locked. Don’t forget the deadbolts, window thumb locks, and sliding bars. Don’t neglect the upstairs.
- Protect your home from prying eyes by keeping the shades and/or drapes drawn.
- Turn down the ringers on your phone. Thieves often pose as visitors, standing outside your front door and listening for someone to pick up the ringing phone.
- Don’t leave ladders out in the open. Thieves will use your ladder to gain access to the upper level of your home.
- Home security is frequently compromised by notes. Don’t leave a note on the door telling your friends and children you ran an errand and will be back. Call or text expected visitors and your children instead.
- Program lights and electronics like your TV and radio randomly turn on and off.
- Don’t let mail collect in your mailbox. Instead, have the post office hold your mail. You can quickly put a stop mail online.
- Tell your neighborhood security and/or the Houston police department when you will be away for several days, and request a periodic check of your home.
- Change the message on your voicemail. Instead of using the standard “we are away”, consider “happy holidays from (first name). Please leave a message”.
As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is especially true when it comes to your home security.
Safeguard Home Security wishes Houston a safe, happy holiday season!