Photo Credit

People often grumble about all the irksome elements that can come with the holiday celebrations: the dreaded in-laws visiting, the hassles of gift buying, get-togethers with people they don’t like. You get the drift.

However, one thing is for certain: you’ll take the visit from the overbearing in-laws or the bratty niece any day over that of a calculating burglar who can turn your holiday celebrations into a total nightmare.

Ensure you do not get that dreaded visit from shady characters by taking the following home security measures to heart.

By far one of the easiest crimes to thwart, burglary is also one of the most prevalent, especially during the Christmas holidays. Sadly, in some instances, victims of break-ins oftentimes lose more than just their material possessions.

It goes without saying an incident of similar nature can largely impact one’s sense of well-being and safety.

• Statistics show that burglaries happen every 15 seconds in the U.S. alone. Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can employ to boost security and make your property burglar-resistant. For starters, ensure your house always looks occupied even if you are away attending parties and socializing. To effectively pull this off, you can use light timers to create the illusion of movement in your place.
• An unlocked door or window can make it very easy for burglars to access your property. In line with this, it will work to your advantage to not leave any doors or windows unlocked. Also, consider installing locks with internal anti-saw pins. This will make it more difficult for shady characters to get in.
• If you intend to travel for a few days, ensure all windows and doors are locked, including your garage door. Also, make it a point to only use top of the line security locks. In addition, arrange to have all mail and newspaper deliveries to be put on hold so it’s not obvious that you are not around to pick them up.
• If you are using blinds and drapes at home, ensure it is only opened when necessary, especially during the holidays. Not only will this keep your home warm, it will also help ensure your home’s safety. Suffice it to say; when it comes to beefing up your security, you need to have everything covered. While not many may be aware of it, likely intruders will use any means to gauge how they can get in, including peering through open drapes and blinds.
• When left unattended, limbs of trees that hang over your roof can provide burglars easy access to your property. Ensure tree limbs that extend to your roof are cut, alongside lower tree branches that are situated near your property. In the same manner, ensure you do not leave any ladders outside as this can be used to get in your place with ease.
• When it comes to safeguarding your property, it is best to leave no stone unturned. With this in mind, consider adding ‘double protection’. That means apart from making sure all the entry points are locked, consider investing in home safes to keep your important valuables protected.

While proper preparation will not always guarantee your home remains burglar free, at least it can dramatically increase your chances of celebrating the holidays with your belongings safe and your sanity intact.