In the holiday season, as families gather and gifts are exchanged, ensuring your home’s safety is paramount. This is especially true when you may be away from home, visiting family or taking a much-needed vacation. Here at My Safe and Lock, we’re your trusted local locksmith, dedicated to helping you ensure your home is as secure as possible. In this blog, we’ll give you some valuable tips on how to keep your property safe.
Prioritize Your Home’s Locking System
Upgrade Your Locks
As your local locksmith, we always emphasize the importance of having high-quality locks. One of the first and foremost tips to ensure your home’s safety during the holiday season is to evaluate and possibly upgrade your locks. Older locks may be easier for burglars to bypass, so upgrading to modern, high-security locks is worth considering. These are designed to resist picking, drilling and bumping, providing a higher level of protection.
Lock Every Entry Point
A common mistake homeowners make is only focusing on their front door’s security. While the front door is the most commonly used entry point, securing every access point to your home is crucial. This includes back doors, garage doors, and windows. Ensure they are always locked when you’re away or even home but in a different part of the house.
Install a Security System
Installing a security system can add another layer of protection to your home. Modern designs offer a range of features, from motion sensors to intelligent doorbells with cameras. Not only can they deter potential burglars, but they can also alert you or even the local authorities if an intrusion is detected.
Use Timed Lights
The holiday season often involves traveling to visit family and friends, leaving homes empty. Empty homes can attract unwanted attention from thieves. However, you can use timed lights to give the impression that someone is home even when the house is vacant. These systems turn on and off lights at preset times, mimicking the lighting patterns when someone is home.
Use a Safe
Store Valuables in a High-Quality Safe
With the holiday season comes gift-giving and potentially more valuable items in the home. Consider investing in a high-quality safe if you have precious items or important documents. A good safe should be fire and water-resistant, have a strong lock, and ideally, be too heavy or bulky for a thief to carry away.
Keep Spare Keys in a Lockbox
Leaving a spare key under the doormat or in a flower pot is an open invitation for thieves. Instead, store your spare keys in a lockbox. You can hide the locker somewhere outside or give it to a trusted neighbour.
Be Cautious Online
We often post about our travel plans or new gifts on social media during the holiday season. However, this can alert potential burglars that your home may be empty. Be careful about the information you share online and adjust your privacy settings to ensure that only trusted friends and family can see your posts.
Enlist a Locksmith for Regular Maintenance
Regular Checks and Maintenance
Locks and security systems require regular maintenance to ensure they’re always at their best. Over time, locks can wear down, and security systems can become outdated or have issues that need addressing. Engaging a professional locksmith like My Safe and Lock for regular checks and maintenance can help you catch any potential problems before they become security risks.
On-Call Emergency Locksmith Services
Despite our best efforts, emergencies can still happen. You may lock out of your house during the holiday rush or encounter a broken lock. Having an on-call locksmith, you trust can save you a lot of stress and quickly resolve these issues. As your local locksmith, we offer reliable emergency services to help you when needed.
Security for Apartment Dwellers
Rethink Your Locks
Living in an apartment often means you’re dealing with pre-installed locks. You might think you have less control over your security, but that’s not necessarily true. Discuss with your landlord or property manager the possibility of changing or upgrading the locks. Most will be open to any improvements that increase the property’s safety.
Install a Peephole or Door Viewer
Consider installing a peephole or door viewer if your apartment door doesn’t have one. This allows you to see who’s at your door without opening it, adding an extra layer of security.
Consider Smart Locks
Smart locks are a more modern solution to home security. A smartphone can control them, meaning you can lock and unlock your doors remotely. This can be incredibly useful if you’re away for the holidays but need to let a neighbour or family member into your home.
In Conclusion
Whether you live in a house or an apartment, you can improve your home security in various ways. Regular maintenance, smart locks, and apartment-friendly security measures are all methods to enhance your safety during the holiday season.
At My Safe and Lock, your security is our number one priority. As your local locksmith, we help you maximise your home’s security. We’ve covered you, from advice on the best locks and safes to emergency services.
Don’t leave your safety to chance this holiday season. Contact us at My Safe and Lock and see how we can help you.
Stay safe, and enjoy the holiday season!