Charlotte Homes for Sale
Nina Hollander
(704)779-0813

Preventing holiday break-ins by increasing your  home security during the holidays should be part of your plan during a busy and hectic season of shopping and gift-giving, decorating and celebrating with friends and family. Unfortunately, it’s an equally busy time of year for home burglars. Nearly 400,000 burglaries occur in the U.S. from November through December each year, according to the FBI. Some things to do (or not to do) to reduce your chances of a burglary include:

• Don’t leave empty gift boxes from expensive electronics, appliances, etc. on the curb. Instead, break down the boxes and place them in large garbage bags to conceal these items. Better yet, take boxes directly to a recycling center after gifts have been opened.
• Don’t openly display expensive decorations and gifts where they can be seen from the street. Intruders often see the holidays as the perfect time to break in, especially if they see a huge tree with lots of gifts surrounding it in the front window of a home that appears to be unattended.

Break-ins also often occur when homeowners are away on a trip. A good way to protect your home is to make sure your house doesn’t look unoccupied while you’re gone. Some things to do to increase security around your home when you travel:

• Install a burglar alarm system.
• Stop deliveries of mail and newspapers.
• Control indoor and outdoor lights with automatic devices.
• Ask a trusted neighbor and/or your local police to periodically check your home.
• Make sure all entrances and windows are securely locked.
• Eliminate hiding places such as overgrown shrubs and bushes close to the house.
• Keep your possessions insured and have a current, detailed inventory of valuables.
• Don’t leave answering machine messages that say you are out of town for the holidays.
• Don’t hide door keys under rocks, flowerports, above door ledges. Burglars know about all these “clever” hiding places. Leave a key with a neighbor instead.
• Don’t post your family name on the mailbox or home. Burglars call directory assistance for your phone number and check up to see if you’re home.

Following these simple tips will help protect your home and make your homecoming a happy one. Happy holidays!

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