Christmas is a lovely time with family for many, but the build up can be stressful. There is an unspoken (or, indeed, outrightly stated) expectation that families, particularly children, should expect a large amount of gifts with a large amount spent on them. It’s important, then, to do what you can to stop theft from following. But what can you do?
You might find, especially if you buy large presents, that you need to have a couple in the back of the car when you’re bringing them home. You should remove them immediately once you arrive: otherwise, you are just advertising the gifts to anyone with criminal intent.
A simple move is to not let the gifts under your tree be visible from windows. This mightn’t always be possible, but at least avoid them being visible from a front window. You may even want to wait putting presents under the tree until Christmas Eve. These steps could be the difference between a burglar being tempted to enter and not.
It’s important not to brag on social media about what gifts you receive. You might think you’re safe as your account is private or your location settings don’t reveal where you live. However, the Government revealed that 33% of burglars were well known by the victim in 2010/11.
You might also be happy to sling out the packaging and carry on enjoying your new gifts. However, bear in mind that packaging would indicate to a passing criminal what possessions are within the property. Either make sure that the packaging is unrecognisable, or leave it as late as possible to put it out for collection.
Obviously you’ll be enjoying your presents during Christmas Day, but make sure to keep them out of sight when you go to bed. You should close the curtains or blinds and keep anything that you particularly prize not amongst the bulk of the presents. If a burglar does decide to intrude, they may be happy with the easy to reach gifts.
Keep up your normal security methods too, as even if burglars can’t see evidence of expensive presents, they are bound to expect them. Make sure to bolt your doors, avoid leaving your key in the back of doors, and don’t leave exterior doors unattended. You should also make sure your security measures are up to scratch in preparation.
It’s important to prepare for the worst, though, so make sure that your gifts are protected. There are several ways that you can do this. Marking them with your name and address in UV pen, adding them to the Immobilise police register, and spraying them with Smart Water, are all effective.
Above all you should have high quality locks in place. These should ideally be British Standard and have a three star rating, as some insurers require these high quality locks installed on at least some doors or windows. You should also consider additional security methods such as shutters and bars.
It doesn’t take much to keep your gifts and home safer, but it means that all the time, effort and money put into purchasing presents don’t go to waste or put your home at more risk of burglary. It means that you should be able to feel more secure in your home over Christmas.
If you’d like a security survey, lock repairs, lock replacement and more, then call us on 0800 0612 677.
