Burglars: the one guest you don’t want over the holidays!

 

Burglaries rise during the holidays because there's more in the home to steal and people leave their homes unattended to visit loved ones.

 

If you’re planning to be away this holiday, protect your turf with the strategies below and save money, too. In fact you may qualify for a Protective Devices Discount on your homeowner’s policy if your home has smoke alarms, deadbolts, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, burglar alarms, or sprinklers.  

 

Before you head out on your sleigh ride, follow these easy theft-foiling strategies:

 

• Ask a trustworthy neighbor to keep an eye on your house.

• Install outside lights or motion-detector lights.

• Leave a few shades or blinds open to maintain a lived-in look.

• Trim shrubs so they don’t hide doors or windows.

• Lock and fasten all doors and windows. Use deadbolt locks on doors.

• Add a security system. Even warning decals on windows deter intruders.

• Have someone mow your lawn.

• Suspend newspaper and mail delivery.

• Install and use security bars on sliding doors to keep thieves from lifting them off their tracks.

• Leave a generic phone message on your answering system that doesn’t imply that you’re gone and turn down the ringer on your phone.

• Set up light timers so your house appears occupied.