It’s confession time. Are you ready? Grown ups love Christmas. For all the stress. For all the hassle. For all the frantic dashing to toy shops, for all the glorified rugby scrums that are Black Friday sales, for all the frustration of untangling fairy lights and stepping on baubles, for all the cooking and the mountains of dishes, we bloomin’ love Christmas. Why? Because for those magical few days we get to jettison the cares and stresses of grown up life and get to feel as carefree as children. Suddenly the memories of our own childhood Christmases become all the more vivid and the festive season feels all the more magical.
Yet, while people everywhere might be feeling all loved up and full of festive goodwill to all, the unfortunate truth is that there are some who see Christmas not as a time of joy, love and giving… but a time of opportunity.
It’s important to make sure that Santa will be the only one sneaking into your home this Christmas. Here’s how…
Think carefully about tree positioning
As nice as it is to show off our glorious glowing trees and mountains of presents, you might as well be leaving a glass of milk and a mince pie out for burglars. They might see a visible tree and presents as an invitation, so make sure your tree isn’t directly visible from the window.
Make sure windows and doors are locked and secure
Speaking of windows, yours will not only play a huge part in keeping you warm over the festive period, they’ll also prevent burglars from gaining access to your home. So if you’ve still got old fashioned single glazed windows, there’s still time to call in a double glazing service before the big day.
Shopping for presents online? Think carefully about how you dispose of packaging
It’s not only your presents that you’ve got to protect. You need to keep your identity out of the hands of thieves, too.
No matter who you’re buying for this year, there’s a good chance that you’re doing at least some of your festive shopping online. Whether you’re buying trendy clothes for friends, toys for kids, nieces or nephews, books, blu rays or games consoles for your significant other it’s important to remember that your discarded packaging is a potential security vulnerability. Especially if you’re in the habit of throwing invoices out with all that brown paper or card. Play it safe and shred all packaging labels and invoices to deter identity thieves.
Going to Mum and Dad’s over Christmas? Think carefully about where you put that spare key
Many of us travel to visit our folks on Christmas day. Just make sure you don’t come home to a ransacked house. If you’re leaving a key for the neighbour to stop by and feed your cat while you’re away, be sure to give it to them directly. Don’t leave it under the doormat, or behind the plant pot or on the door frame. These are all places seasoned burglars will know to look.
This festive season a little vigilance will go a long way!