Updated by herolocksmith on Dec 17, 2017

Fantastic Tips to Keep Your Home Secure at Christmas

Christmas is one of the busiest times for burglars. Lots of empty houses as people are out shopping and socialising as well as lots of lovely new and expensive gadgets ready for the taking. As an Edinburgh locksmith I am often called to a home after a break-in to make the property secure again or to fit a new high security lock. I have seen first hand the upset it can cause families at this time of year. So if you want to avoid the cost and devastation of being broken into this Christmas, follow some of these great tips

Source: https://herolocksmith.co.uk/general-locksmith/8-great-locksmith-tips-for-christmas/

Ensure all external ground floor doors have good quality security locks

It may seem obvious, but as a locksmith I have seen first hand, the ease with which cheap locks can be opened or broken by a burglar. Always ensure that your locks are up to the job - it is not as expensive as you may think to fit good quality locks and it could save you a huge amount of heartache and cost later on.

Never leave presents under the tree

This is particularly important if your tree is on the ground floor near a window. The temptation for an opportunist thief walking past may be just too great to ignore. Always store presents out of site in a cupboard or under the bed

Burglary Prevention - Letterboxes

Never leave keys in plain sight. Always check what is can be seen by someone standing outside your your front door and that includes looking through your letterbox. Burglars have been using makeshift fishing rods placed through the letterbox to successfully fish for keys, particularly car keys.

Don't share too much on social media

Tempting though it is to let your followers know about the great concert/school play that you are going to or fantastic new tv, laptop or other gadget that you have purchased, don't! Some home insurance companies are beginning to say they may not pay out following a burglary if they can prove that the homeowner was not careful enough or advertised their new possessions or upcoming trips online.

Make your home look lived in

Burglars love empty houses. It gives them plenty time to have a good look for anything worth stealing. Keep burglars from targeting your home by making it look lived in.The easiest thing you can do to make your home look occupied is to buy some timers that allow you to set lights and TV/radios to switch on and off at different times during the day. If you are away for more than a couple of days over Christmas ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your home e.g. collect the mail, clear snow from the path etc.

Never leave a spare key under a plant pot

Resist hiding spare keys under a plant pot/ mat or pebble in front of your property. If you have a neighbour you can trust, leave a spare with them. If not, and you (or other members of your family) are in the habit of losing your keys, invest in a high security key safe that can be installed outside on an external wall.