15 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe During the Holiday Season

Most people don't like that "fall back" time change every November, but you know who does? Burglars. Burglars love to "fall back" because it gives them more time to practice their criminal activities thanks to the earlier veil of darkness. This is also a convenient time for them as the holiday season is upon us and most people have a lot of newly purchased gifts in our homes. Perfect bait for burglars.

In general, most homeowners will take precautions around Christmas time to prevent fires due to Christmas lights, yet they do not take extra security measures to prevent home robbery. Though fire prevention is certainly important, your home is far more likely to attract the eyes of a burglar than to go up in flames. So, here are 15 ways that you can keep the burglars away:

1. Keep doors locked at all times. This is true even when you are home, and even when it's light out.
2. Keep your windows locked, even those on the second floor. Burglars DO have climbing skills.
3. Use door reinforcements and top-flight locks.
4. Keep the curtains and blinds closed. This will ensure that no one can take a peek at your valuables.
5. Install security films on the windows. These help to prevent the penetration of objects such as a baseball bat or crow bar.
6. Give your home a "lived-in" look with a home automation technology system. Many of these can be controlled by a model device or scheduled to turn lights on or off at a specific time.
7. Collect your newspaper and mail as soon as they arrive.
8. Place a large pair of men's work boots near the door, and make sure they are scuffed up to make them look worn.
9. Put a large dog bowl near the entryways of the home, but make sure it looks realistic. Do this by adding a chewed up toy or large leash to the scene.
10. Make sure there is no shrubbery crowding entry points of the home.
11. Go to Google news, and type in the phrase "door kicked in" along with your city and state. You will be shocked by the results. To protect yourself, consider a device such as Door Devil, which is a high-level door reinforcement device.
12. If you have a garage, make sure you are packing and unpacking gifts from the car inside of the garage so no one can see what you purchased.
13. Don't advertise your Christmas gift purchases on social media, as many thieves use social media to find potential victims.
14. Make an investment into a home security system. The best systems provide a clear view of what is happening in the home on your mobile device when you are not there.
15. If you have a car parked out in the drive, place a pair of men's gloves on the dash. Most burglars will think twice if they believe there is a large man living in the home.