How to keep your home safe in winter
It is important to keep your home safe all year round, however, the winter period can bring some additional security difficulties which it is important to address as soon as possible. In this post, we look at several ways in which one can keep their home secure during the winter season. The winter period can often lead to an increase in burglaries, although most of these tips can be useful all year round.
Keep your lights on even when you are not home.
With the dark nights drawing in, it may be even more obvious to a trained burglar that you are not at home. Many people turn their lights off when leaving the house, but this can identify an empty house to a potential intruder. People often go to stay with their families during the holiday season and may leave their property vacant for several days. It would be worth leaving some lights on or putting some lights on a timer to ensure that the house looks lived in, even if there is nobody there. In addition, leaving a radio or television on would be beneficial to deter intruders.
Outside lighting
As previously stated, the dark nights can be very enticing to a burglar due to the lack of lighting in a property. This can also refer to the outside lighting of a property – if a property does not have outside lighting then this may also increase your chance of a break-in. Burglars do not want to draw attention to themselves so having lights outside (particularly automatic lighting) will help to deter them.
Keeping expensive items/presents out of view
At this time of year, many people celebrate Christmas and other holidays where gifts are given. If these gifts are left on show then it may entice potential burglars into the property. Many people put their presents under a Christmas tree, which may help to display them to intruders. It is also important to make sure any other expensive items in the home aren’t on show and keeping blinds/curtains shut will help with this.
Keep your doors and windows locked
This is an important tip to remember all year round, but with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, people may forget to lock their doors and windows. Leaving locks unlocked may lead to burglars entering the property and chancing their way in. It is also important to keep your keys hidden away and if your keys disappear or your keys become lost, then we would recommend hiring a local emergency locksmith to change your locks and provide a new set of keys as soon as possible. Double-check your doors and windows are secure and make sure that any keys are accounted for. If your locks aren’t very secure, hiring a locksmith to add additional locks/more secure locks may add more security.
Tidy up your garden
People often leave tools and other garden equipment outside in the garden all year round, however, this equipment may also be forgotten about during the winter months, due to the harsh weather and the busy holiday period. If this equipment is left outside it may provide an easy opportunity for people to steal without entering the house. It may also make the property look as though it is unused, which may entice potential burglars inside. Keeping your garden tidy will also provide fewer hiding spots for trespassers.
Alarms and security systems
Alarms and security systems (for example, CCTV cameras) are a good idea all year round. As well as acting as a deterrent, alarms will help to notify homeowners and security services of a possible break-in. CCTV can also be used to record and identify any intruders, which may be helpful in catching burglars.
These tips can all be helpful in preventing break-ins during the winter period. If you have any further security queries, don’t hesitate to contact Lockout247.