Keeping your home safe and secure is important. Learning what to look for when it comes to assessing risks to home safety is a round-the-year job. Even during the darker and colder months of winter, taking actionable steps to practice home safety will give you peace of mind, and allow you to focus and prioritize the most important things in life.

There are 5 easy actionable steps you can take to better protect your home and family over the winter. Prevention is the best course of action, as well as being observant about small things that criminals can exploit. Choose to be proactive, assess the needs of your home, and spend more time enjoying the winter season.

• Keep paths clear and well lit.
• Take care of cracks and drafts in windows.
• Use decorative lighting to your advantage.
• Keep your holiday plans private.
• Place warning signs notifying outsiders that your home is secured.

 

Keep a Light On

Make sure paths to the entrances and exits at your home are well lit. Criminals utilize the cover of darkness to cover their covert actions, and most certainly don’t want neighbors or passersby to give them any attention when trying to break into a property.

Choose low-cost but effective lighting so that your home is well lit where it matters most. Holiday lighting for special days can be placed so that points of entry to thieves is spotlighted, a dissuasive move. Consider putting indoor lights on a timer, so that it looks like someone is always home.

 

Stop Drafts and Points of Entry

When criminals seek out their targets, a home that is in need of maintenance is often at greater risk of being chosen. Windows that are loose or in need of changing not only cause drafts and raise heating bills, but also give criminals a point of entry. Make sure that windows are properly fitted and have coverings that will keep unwanted parties out.

 

Make Use of Decorative Lighting

Decorative lighting not only makes a home more attractive visually in the wintertime, but also keeps would-be thieves from making an unwanted visit. Lights can be placed on timers or controlled remotely via phone applications.

 

No Need to Broadcast Plans on Social Media

One of the best ways for a criminal to pick out a target is to simply peruse social media feeds. People who happily post that they have travel plans or have left their home make breaking into that home even easier. Avoid posting such information.

 

Send a Warning

Warn would-be thieves once you have your home security system in place, or even if you are still waiting to have one installed. Place a Vigilante Security Lawn sign outside and Vigilante Security Door & Window stickers inside informing passerby traffic that you have home alarm services. Criminals want to do as little work as possible, so homes that have signs broadcasting that there is some type of residential security system in place are less likely to be targets of a burglary.