5 Holiday Season Home Security Improvements

The holiday season is approaching, and some people will get together and practice social distancing and mask-wearing. You can still have holiday gatherings as long as you keep them small and follow the CDC recommended protocols.

While the holidays put many people in a festive mood, there is one potential drawback. Some criminals try to use this time to break into homes and cars or to steal packages. They’d love to get their hands on your gifts and ruin your holiday season.

You need to protect your home, and we’ve got some suggestions as to how you can do that.

Install Home Security Cameras

Crime rate increases during holiday season, but you can use cameras to deter that. There are several excellent camera brands on the market today, such as:

• Arlo
• Blink
• Nest

You had to hardwire home camera systems in the past, and you usually needed to hire an electrician for that. You don’t need to do that anymore.

When you buy one of these outdoor camera systems, you drill a hole in the siding, brick, or whatever other material, and you screw in a base. You affix the camera to that base, usually pointed at your front door, back door, or any other ground-level ingress or egress methods.

You can then install the app that goes with that camera system and monitor your home that way. You can set the sensitivity level and record any people who come onto your property or vehicles that drive past.

Install Motion-Activated Lights

Criminals like to do their work when it’s dark. They might sneak down your driveway and break into your vehicle at night if you don’t have a garage.

You can deter them with motion-activated lights. These lights:

• Turn on when someone approaches
• Brightly illuminate a driveway, your front steps, etc.

If someone wants to try jimmying your window open at four o’clock in the morning, they won’t want to do it so much with a bright light shining on them. The combination of lights and cameras will chase away just about any crime.

Get a Dog

Maybe you want to get the kids a pet, but at the same time, you want some home protection. You can get a dog, killing two birds with one stone.

Your kids can have their pets, and you can have a loyal property protector. Dogs naturally like to protect their owners and their home turf.

You should study the different breeds a little before you buy, as some do make better guard dogs than others. You also might need to train the animal. Some dogs pick up these home-protection lessons very quickly, while it does not come so naturally to others.

If you get something like a Doberman, Rottweiler, or German Shepard, any criminal will think twice before trying to enter your home or even approach your house. Also, many studies show that if you have pets, you’ll live longer, and you’ll have a lower stress level.

Install Electronic Window Sensors

You can also install electronic door and window sensors. They don’t cost very much, and you can get as many of them as you need to cover every ground-floor window and door. You can even get ones for the upper-floor windows if you want.

These sensors activate if a window opens, and a thief breaks the connection. You can get a smartphone notification. All you must do is install the corresponding app, and your phone will make a noise or vibrate if someone ever tries to break in.

Install a Doorbell Camera

You can also set up a doorbell camera system. This way, if someone ever rings the bell, you can see who it is on your phone, even if you’re not home at the time.

You might think that a thief wouldn’t ring the bell, but sometimes that’s precisely what they do. They might pose as a delivery person or postal carrier, and they’re trying to figure out if you’re home or not.

If you can see them when they ring the bell, you can probably tell very quickly whether they have legitimate business there. You can instruct them to leave a package if they’re a real delivery person. Most of these doorbell cameras also have microphones, so you can talk to whoever is there.

With these security measures in place, you can enjoy the holiday season. You won’t have to worry about anyone trying to break in or porch pirates attempting to snatch your gifts.

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