Each of these home security tips will help you to make sure your home is best protected during the Holiday period!

The majority of leading home insurance providers will recommend that it is always a good idea to lock up anything that can be used by a burglar to gain entry to a first floor window or climb over a fence i.e. wheelie bins and ladders.

Don’t give a burglar a leg up!

Store all bins and ladders away from your property. These could be used by an intruder to gain access to a 1st floor window.

As the Holidays approach the majority of us will be frequently out of the house for longer periods of time whether that is due to attending an office party or just simply doing the Christmas shopping. In order to deter a burglar from breaking into your home it is regularly advised that if you are planning on returning when it is most likely to be dark, “lighting up your home is a useful deterrent of burglary” (Metropolitan Police).

If you’re going to be away from your home for a long period of time leave a light on or on a timer. Leaving a television or radio on is also a good alternative to leaving the lights on.

The Royal Mail operates a Keepsafe™ service during the Holidays. This service literally consists of the Royal Mail holding onto any parcel and letters whilst you're away for up to 66 days and will deliver them to your home once you have returned.

Going away during the Christmas Holidays?

If you are going to be away for a long period of time ask Royal Mail to hold your mail - they will do this for up to 2 months.

Neighbourhood Watch works to bring neighbours together who want to look out for each other, creating strong, friendly, active communities where crime and antisocial behaviour are less likely to happen.

To find your local Neighbourhood Watch, or for information on how to start a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, please visit http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/

Join your local Neighbourhood Watch!

As part of our home security advice we recommend that you either join or start a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

The majority of home insurance providers will advise that you keep any valuables out of sight. According to Aviva you should be aware of any ‘top pickings’ for burglars; “consoles, games and DVDs make up 62% of belongings stolen”, “other favourites include cameras, computers, mobile phones, MP3 players and jewellery”. (Aviva)

Window shopping for burglars!

Remember the Grinch who stole Christmas... never ever leave any presents or valuables where they can be seen by a burglar i.e. in view of a window.

According to online etiquette blog ‘Netmanners’ social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter are accessible by anyone although you are letting your ‘friends’ know what you are up to there is always the underlying issue that anyone can access your information and find out what you are up to i.e. burglars.

Don’t share your holiday plans!

Don’t discuss any holiday plans on any type of open forum i.e. Facebook. We are sure you have all heard the horror stories where over a thousand people turned up to a party that had been made public on Facebook, it would be like that but a party for... burglars!

When thinking about the security of your home, it is always a good idea to think like a burglar!

Store all sets of keys away from the front door! Whatever time of year it is, it’s never a good idea to leave your keys anywhere near your front door. A letterbox cage or guard can be fitted; burglars will often use the letterbox to retrieve keys stored inside the house.

Look for any potential security risks that may be used to the advantage of a burglar i.e. spare keys under the mat. In a recent survey by Keytek™ it was found that over 20% of Britons were still leaving spare keys hidden in an unsecure location such as under a plant pot in the garden.

When evaluating the security of your home it is important to consider that you may need additional security such as a spy hole or door chain, which will not only improve the security of your home by allowing you to keep out unwanted guests but will also add to your peace of mind.

Keep out any unwanted guests!

It is always a good idea to have a spy hole or door chain fitted to your front door especially in the holiday season where you are more likely to receive more visitors to your home.

As the nights draw darker, during the winter months it is really worth considering installing motion detector lights externally to your home.

Light it up!

Lights with sensors in the garden and at the front of your property will help to deter a burglar as they are more confident when working in the dark.

Many Police Forces and Home Insurance Providers will advise marking any valuables especially those that are more mobile i.e. a laptop or tablet.

Use a UV pen to mark any valuables so if the worse does happen it may help to make recovery easier.

A burglary info-graphic from Tesco Compare showed that the top 5 most stolen items included: Mobile Phones (6%), Jewellery and Watches (11%), Cameras and MP3 Players (13%), Laptops (15%) and Money (17%).

As part of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s ‘The Top Five Operation Guardian Tips’ they recommend securing your garden by shutting and locking any gates and making sure you lock away any garden tools as these can be used by burglars to break in

Check the locks on any gates or sheds and upgrade/replace if necessary. Make sure anything that can be used by a burglar to gain entry to your property i.e. garden tools is safely locked away.

Call a local locksmith on 0800 035 0451 to book in a home security and insurance compliance check, they will be more than happy to upgrade the security of your home for your peace of mind over the Christmas period.

Call a local locksmith to book in a home security and insurance compliance check!