Christmas Scene

 

Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year, with endless mince pies, precious time with friends and family and not to mention the excitement of giving and receiving gorgeous gifts. This time of year, however, is statistically proven to be a hotspot for thieves and burglars who see great opportunity in people going away and leaving their homes unattended, or even the piles of expensive gifts building up under the tree. To ensure your Christmas is filled with joy and excitement, here are a few tips on how you can stop unwanted visitors in your home.

 

Basic Security Measures

 

As one of the busiest months of the year, burglars like to strike throughout the Christmas period, knowing that many people have lots on their minds and may become slack or forgetful when it comes to their homes safety. Implementing basic security measures to your home will help ensure that your home is protected and safe. The most obvious, but surprisingly most overlooked safety feature for your home is the burglar alarm. If you don’t already, install a burglar alarm in your home to give you the peace of mind that nobody can enter your home without you knowing about it. As well as a burglar alarm, make sure that all of your locks on windows and doors are working and used, preventing any unwanted access through unexpected entrances to your home.

 

Let There be Light

 

Keeping your home well-lit throughout the Christmas period will not only make your home safe for you and your family on the darker evenings, but it will also prevent any potential burglars from coming near your home. Lighting will instantly put a burglar off, due to the fact that they will be exposed if anybody were to catch them out. Lighting also shows that people are home, so if you’re leaving your home alone this festive period, installing some timed lighting is great for making it look like your home is in use and occupied, when you’re not actually there.

 

Keep things Private

 

You often find that potential burglars will have a little peak into the house through a window, before deciding if the home is worth entering or not. To prevent any thieves from knowing what’s inside your home, make sure your curtains or blinds are closed whenever it’s dark outside. This will simply prevent anyone from seeing in and knowing what’s going on inside your home. It’s also a great way to keep your home private and create a warm and cosy atmosphere. Try not to leave expensive items positioned on display throughout your home too, for example, don’t leave an expensive gift such as a MacBook or IPhone on the kitchen side or on a window ledge, as this may cause temptation for potential burglars and the last thing you want on Christmas day is any unexpected visitors.

 

Useful Tips

 

There are a few ways in which you can keep things safe and secure, away from prying eyes. Positioning an oak console table somewhere away from doors or windows is great for storing items such as keys, phones and so on. You can also look at introducing some locked cabinets that are perfect for keeping expensive items secure and hidden. It’s really important to remember not to leave keys in doors or windows, as well as not having a table with keys on right next to the door. Similarly, don’t leave lights on by the window, as this gives people a better view when looking in, if you need to leave lights on, the hall lights are a great way to keep the house looking occupied without illuminating each room and showing the contents to anyone outside.