The festive season is the busiest time of year for professional burglars. They know that many people have valuable presents stored in their homes ahead of Christmas, and many people go away for the holidays. Home safety and security is especially important at this time of year, otherwise Christmas could be anything but merry. Can you imagine anything worse than finding out all of your family’s Christmas gifts have been stolen?

Holiday season is prime time for criminals, who know there is more to steal at Christmas time. Beat the burglar by following our expert security tips.

Never put wires through windows

Everyone likes to put up exterior Christmas decorations and spread some holiday cheer – there may even be a friendly competition in the neighbourhood to have the most impressive illuminations. However, running electrical wires through a window to a power source inside the house is pretty much an open invitation for burglars. Open or unlocked windows make breaking in too easy. If you must have Christmas lights outside and don’t want to invite thieves into your home, install a power outlet on the outside of the house.

Security systems

A visible and reliable security system can deter criminals from targeting your home in the first place. A modern alarm system or CCTV cameras increase the chance of getting caught, so burglars are likely to move on to another property which isn’t as well protected.

Don’t advertise your gifts

It’s tradition to wrap presents up and leave them under the tree, sometimes weeks before Christmas Day. However this makes stealing valuable items extremely easy. Keep trees and presents away from windows. Wrap up fake presents and cardboard boxes to put under the Christmas tree, and leave the real presents hidden away.

Out or in?

Burglars like to target empty properties, and at this time of year there are plenty to choose from. People are out at work, Christmas shopping and attending festive parties until late. Make sure your home looks occupied while you are out, by having lights on timer switches. If you are going on holiday or visiting family overnight, ask a neighbour to park outside your house so it isn’t obvious that you’re away for a long period of time.

Also, we can learn a lot from the classic Christmas movie Home Alone. Don’t broadcast the fact that you’re going on holiday! Don’t tempt burglars into your home to ruin your festive holidays.