Christmas and the holidays are meant to be a joyous and happy time of year. However, for some families, holidays can quickly be ruined when they do not take the time to ensure their home’s security is optimized throughout the holiday season.
Before you head out to do last-minute shopping, traveling, or spending time away from home with your family and friends, review these Christmas home security tips to protect your home and keep it as safe as possible.
#1. Keep presents out of sight.
One of the biggest mistakes is making it easy to see presents under the Christmas tree through the windows on a home. So if you decide to place presents under the tree, either keep windows closed so the presents cannot be seen or avoid stacking presents too high, so they are kept out of sight.
#2. Do not run extension cords for outdoor decorations through an open window.
It can be tempting to run an extension cord outside to power your outdoor Christmas lights, blowups, and other decorations. However, this is just inviting a criminal to break into your home.
Just use the outlets on the exterior of the home, solar-powered decorations, or battery-powered decorations. You could also invest in a generator to produce the electricity needed to power your outdoor lights and decorations.
#3. Test your outdoor security equipment.
Make sure security cameras, security lights, and motion sensors are all working correctly and are pointed in the right direction. Repair or replace any non-working equipment.
#4. Install a smart doorbell.
A smart doorbell includes motion sensors and video features so you can be alerted on your mobile device whenever someone is near your front door. Many smart doorbells also include night vision, making it easy to see who is outside even at night.
#5. Install smart door locks on exterior doors.
Smart door locks eliminate needing a key. They are a great deterrent because you have to use your smartphone and an app to unlock the door. Plus, when you are home, you can unlock the door for guests without having to go to it after verifying who is at the front door through your smart doorbell.
#6. Test your indoor security equipment.
Take the time to verify that door and window sensors, motion sensors, glass-break sensors, video cameras, and other indoor security equipment are working properly. If you have a home security system, there should be a test function you can use. Additionally, test the alarm system to ensure it will go off should someone attempt to break into your home.
#7. Avoid the excessive use of extension cords and power strips for indoor decorating.
It can be tempting to run extension cords and use multiple power strips to power all of your indoor Christmas and holiday decorations. However, this creates fire hazards. Instead, it is better to stick to plugging the cords directly into the outlet to ensure breakers will blow if too much power is drawn.
#8. Don’t leave a key hidden outside your home.
Many people have an extra key hidden somewhere outside like under a planter or in a fake rock. Thieves are familiar with this practice and will look for the spare key to gain entry to your home. Instead, upgrade at least one of your entry doors to a smart lock. Then there is no need for the hidden key.
#9. Use light timers, smart plugs, or smart bulbs.
Since it gets darker earlier in the winter, it is a good idea to use light timers, smart plugs, or smart bulbs and schedule them to turn on before you get home. If you plan on being gone during Christmas, make sure to alternate your schedules to give the impression that someone is home.
#10 Plan ahead if you will be gone over Christmas.
If you will be traveling for your Christmas holiday, let your monitoring service know the dates. This way, if an alarm is triggered, they will know to alert the police before calling you. It also doesn’t hurt to give a spare key to a trusted neighbor to check your home while you are gone, such as when they are feeding your pets.
Replacement Remotes Will Help Keep Your Home Safe
We hope these tips will help keep your home safe this Christmas and holiday season. If you need a replacement remote for your home security system, find the security system remote you need in our online store. Please feel free to contact Replacement Remotes by calling 855-573-6683 today if you cannot find the brand you need, have further questions, or require assistance!