The holidays are a busy time of year, what with all of the shopping to do, parties to attend and family and friends to visit. Most of us end up having to make a to-do list to keep it all straight! So when you are a holiday to-do list and checking it twice; make sure somewhere between putting up the Christmas tree and buying a gift for grandma, you add a few home safety and security items to the list.
After all, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season creates a few unique home safety and security issues that you might not encounter as often during other times of the year (like package theft or issues caused by electric holiday decorations). But don’t worry, here are a few easy things you can add to your holiday to-do list to keep your home (and the people in it) safe and secure this holiday season.
1. Properly set up Christmas trees & lights so they aren’t fire hazards.
Beautifully decorated trees and sparkling lights are possibly one of the best parts of the holiday season. However, if they aren’t properly set up or maintained they can actually be quite dangerous. According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) in the U.S. between 2011 & 2015, Christmas trees were the item first ignited in an estimated average of 200 reported home structure fires per year, resulting in $14.8 million in direct property damage. If real trees aren’t properly watered and/or they are placed too close to heat sources like vents or candles, they are EXTREMELY flammable. So be sure to water them daily, give them plenty of space, and take them down once they are too dry!
There are also certain precautions to take with Christmas lights. Read the labels on your lights before putting them up. Try to only use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory, as they have been tested quite thoroughly to ensure their safety. Also, make sure that you only use lights for the application that they are labeled for, some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. When you are putting up the lights if you happen to find a string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections, don’t use it. Damaged lights can be quite a fire hazard!
2. Make sure packages are being delivered safely.
According to a recent study, about 83% of consumers will do some type of online shopping this holiday season. That means there will be a lot of unattended packages sitting on porches, prime pickings for potentials criminals.
Keep your presents safe by taking a few precautions with their delivery. For instance:
- Have packages sent right to the carrier’s delivery center for pick-up.
- Request a time for delivery when you’ll be home.
- Get packages sent to work, or a friend or family member’s house where someone is sure to be home.
- Give instructions to have packages placed in a garage or other safe place.
- Most carriers are pretty willing to work with you if you have specific shipping instructions.
3. Hide your gifts.
Not just from snooping children, but from potentials burglars. It looks beautiful and festive to have brightly wrapped presents all around the Christmas tree that can be seen when people pass by your house. But, not only do those gifts look enticing to you and your family, look just as enticing to criminals. So take away the temptation by waiting as long as possible to put your wrapped gifts under the tree.
Once you are done unwrapping those beautiful presents, try to put things (especially big ticket items like electronics and sporting goods) away quickly to avoid the same enticement.
4. Make your home look lived-in.
If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time visiting family and friends, make sure your home’s security is in order before you head off over the river and through the woods. This means not only locking doors and windows, but perhaps taking measures to make your house look lived-in even while you are away.
You may want to install a timer on lights throughout your home so they come on periodically, especially during the evening when potential burglars have the cover of darkness. Want another way to provide a little extra light? Consider installing motion-sensing spotlights around the exterior of your home.
Another way to make your home look lived-in is to have the post office to hold your mail if you are going to away for quite a while, so letters and magazines aren’t overflowing from your mailbox.
If you really want to cross home security off your to-do list and have one less thing to worry about this holiday season, consider installing a monitored security system from EPS.