One part of the Christmas season that always brings a lot of joy to our homes is holiday decorating. Putting decorations up around your home, and decorating the Christmas tree are common traditions that take place across many households. Perhaps you are decorating outdoors and indoors to help spread the holiday cheer in your own home as well as in the neighbourhood. With that said, it is also important to make sure that this decorating is done with safety in mind.

For example, if you are stringing lights inside and outside of your home, you will want to be aware of the combination of the power bars and power cords you are using. One reason for this is so that you do not overload the outlets. You will also want to check that the cords are in proper working order. Making sure that the cords are free of frayed or broken wires is essential as these damage wires can pose a threat by having the potential to cause an electric shock or even an electrical fire.

You may also be incorporating candles into your festivities, and while these can be a lovely and calming addition to your home, you should avoid leaving them burning while unattended. Instead, blow them out before you leave the house or you go to bed. This way, your home and your Christmas celebrations will remain in tact and you’ll be able to enjoy the holiday with a great deal more peace of mind.

Another way you can protect your home this holiday season is to keep a watchful eye out for porch parcel thieves. Unfortunately, with the increase in online shopping and amount of deliveries we receive these days, this is only continuing to happen more and more in even the safest of neighbourhoods.

That said, if you have packages being delivered – all is not lost. Fortunately, there are methods of managing these deliveries and keeping your items safe. One step you can take can be to purchase a lock box for your delivered items. Additionally, you may also want to turn to security systems, such as video doorbells, alarms and smart lights as these can also help to discourage porch thieves. Finally, if you are able to have packages delivered elsewhere, for example, to your workplace or to a family member, this can help to reduce the amount of home deliveries, and in turn, instances of porch theft.

Porch thievery can also mean that strangers are potentially lurking around your home and this could lead to break-ins. As a result, you will also want to be proactive and make sure you are protecting your home from thieves who are even more invasive. An empty home or a home that appears empty can be all too tempting and sadly, the Christmas season is a common time for these types of break-ins.

Again, you may want to consider investing in a home security system, with an alarm and video camera setup. Whether you are travelling across town or a bit further this year, it doesn’t take a lot of time for break-ins to occur and it is best to be prepared, especially at Christmas.

On a final note, it is also suggested that you limit what you share on Social Media sites. While you may have good intentions about thanking people for their gift-giving generosity, this instead could be a virtual window into your home and the items you own. As a result, this could make you a target for future thefts. With that said, any actions you can take to either deter or catch thieves in the act, will be an effective way of keeping your home a lot safer this holiday season.

While COVID may have forced you to alter your plans this year, you can still make the most of the season by remembering to do what you can to keep your home a safe and peaceful place over the holidays.