Tips To Avoid Burglary This Christmas - Keep Your Home Safe

Burglary Prevention Tips for a Safe Christmas: How to Protect Your Home

As the festive season approaches, the spirit of joy and giving fills the air. However, it's also a time when burglaries tend to spike.

Homeowners across the UK must be extra vigilant to ensure their homes remain safe and secure. This article provides essential tips and strategies to help protect your home during the festive period. Its designed to provide tips helping with burglary prevention during Christmas. Catering to those eager to protect their homes, prevent burglary, and enjoy a peaceful holiday season.

1. Do Burglaries Increase at Christmas?

Statistics show a noticeable increase in burglaries during the Christmas period.

Homes being left unattended while people are out celebrating with friends and family causes this increase. Often leaving homes unattended and filled with valuable items, making them a prime targets for burglars.

2. How Do I Keep My House Safe for Christmas? Ensuring home safety during Christmas involves a mix of common-sense measures and proactive strategies:

• Secure Your Home: Always lock doors and windows and always use timers on lights and lamps. You can programme these to come on and switch off at set times giving the impression that someone is home.
• Be Discreet About Gifts: Avoid leaving gifts in view of windows or in the car on the drive. The sight of shopping bags and boxes or wrapped presents can tempt opportunistic thieves..
• Alert Neighbours: If you're traveling, it is a good idea to inform a trusted neighbour. They can keep an eye on your property and collect any mail.
• Ensure you have valid home insurance

3. How Can You Reduce the Risk of Burglary? Reducing the risk of burglary involves being mindful of your home's security year-round:

• Install a Security System: A good alarm system serves as a deterrent and provides peace of mind.
• Use Security lights Motion Sensor Lighting: Well-lit homes and properties can deter burglars.

4. What is the Best Deterrent for Burglars? If there's a risk of a burglar being caught this is a deterrent , either on a security camera or triggering a house alarm, they are less likely to break into your home. Visible security measures, like alarm systems and CCTV cameras, are potent deterrents.

5. What scares burglars? Homes that are dark, partially hidden, and have little or no security are often the targets of burglars, as they fear being caught. Therefore, they avoid homes with security systems, loud dogs, and active neighbourhood watch schemes. Anything that increases their chances of detection deters them.

6. What Time Do Most Break-Ins Occur? Most burglaries happen during the daytime when people are at work or school. However, during Christmas, the pattern might shift slightly, with evenings becoming riskier as homes fill with new purchases.

10 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe and Prevent Burglary at Christmas:

1. Lock Up: Always ensure ALL doors and windows are locked when leaving your property or going to bed. Check all door locks are in correct working order, not just the front door.
2. Hide Valuables: Keep expensive items out of sight, the sight of high tech gadgets or valuable jewellery are a temptation for burglars.
3. Use Smart Home Devices: Leverage technology for home surveillance.
4. Don’t Overshare on Social Media: Avoid broadcasting your location or valuables.
5. Dispose of Packaging Discreetly: Don't advertise new purchases with visible boxes.
6. Keep Your Plans Private: Be discreet about holiday plans, Avoid posting on social media until you have returned home.
7. Strengthen Entry Points: Reinforce doors and windows.
8. Create the Illusion of Presence: Use light timers and TV simulators.
9. Secure the Perimeter: Maintain fences and gates and in good condition with no broken panels
10. Join a Neighbourhood Watch: Stay connected with your community for shared vigilance.

While these tips can reduce the risk of burglary, break-ins can still occur unfortunately.

Ensuring you have the correct policy and that your insurance covers all your requirements is vital.

Having Insurance does not only provide cover for theft and burglary, but also it provides financial protection against a range of unforeseen event such as fires or flood, and storm damage.

The cost of repairs or rebuilding can be substantial after such events, and home insurance helps to mitigate these expenses.

For homeowners with a mortgage, Insurance companies often require home insurance to protect their investment. Even for those who own their homes outright, insurance offers peace of mind by safeguarding. In summary, home insurance acts as a safety net, providing financial security and protecting against potential risks associated with homeownership. This advice extends to commercial and public liability Insurance too.

In such unfortunate events, having a professional like Oakleafe at your side can be invaluable. As experienced loss assessors, we can help you navigate the complexities of insurance claims. Ensuring you receive fair treatment and get your full entitlement. Their expertise can be the difference between a prolonged, stressful insurance process and a swift, favourable resolution.

Remember, the best Christmas is a safe one – take proactive steps to protect your home and enjoy the festive season with peace of mind.