Images of holiday travelers rushing through congested airports or taking long road trips to visit families are staples of classic movies, but there is some truth to their cinematic depiction. In 2017 alone, 107.3 million people traveled over the course of the holiday season—leaving untold numbers of homes vacant and allowing patient burglars to cherry-pick the best targets.
While crime typically spikes over the simmering summer months, many states observe a sizable increase in home burglaries the week after Christmas. It’s theorized that the likely presence of recent, valuable holiday gifts coupled with the large volume of people traveling out-of-town encourages burglars.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom, however. Whether you’re traveling to the in-laws for the holidays or leaving the snow for warmer climes, there are a few simple steps you can take to discourage burglars from targeting your house and disrupting your holiday cheer.
Home security travel tips
- Don’t let the mail pile up. Ask a friend or neighbor to retrieve your mail so it doesn’t build up in your mailbox. This is one of the easiest ways for a burglar to tell if a house is currently unoccupied.
- Don’t advertise your absence on social media. Posting goofy Christmas party pictures of yourself on Facebook is good fun, but it’s also another avenue savvy burglars use to see if you’re taking an extended trip away from your home. Save yourself the trouble and save the pictures for when you return home.
- Take care of the driveway. It’s worth paying the neighbor kid to shovel your driveway in your absence as it gives the illusion that someone is home.
- Get a house sitter. Instead of maintaining the illusion that you are home, consider hiring someone you trust to look over your home and maintain a physical presence. The house sitter can also collect your mail and shovel your driveway.
Smart home security with EPS Total Connect
Even with a house sitter, your home isn’t truly protected from break-ins without a functioning, professionally monitored security system. A home security system protects your home, assets, and anyone inside whenever the system is set, and it can be used to notify both you and the local authorities of intrusion even if you’re sleeping peacefully five states away.
With the rise of smart home technology, modern security systems can go a step further in providing protection for your home with an added layer of convenience. The EPS Total Connect platform allows you to control various smart home devices from a single application, allowing you to check interior and exterior cameras, lock and unlock doors, and arm and disarm the system remotely at the flick of your fingertip.
What’s more, the Total Connect application allows you to set schedules for your devices. Do you want to give the impression that someone’s home even when they’re not? Set a schedule to turn on all your interior lights at 6pm and off at 10pm. With an EPS home security system, you receive the benefit of professional monitoring in the event of an emergency and the comfort of being able to check in on your property with ease. Give yourself the present of peace of mind this holiday season by entrusting your home’s security to a local company with more than 60 years of experience. Invest in an EPS home security system and experience the EPS Advantage for yourself.