The holidays are nearly here and we’re all making plans. So are burglars. As a homeowner you may be planning to have guests or to visit other people. Your home will be targeted. Here are some ideas and top tips on how to make a home secure and protected for the holidays.

Ways to make a home secure

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

The new year is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about how you can make your home more secure. You may not believe this is necessary if you don’t have any valuable items in your home, but what about when you are away on vacation? It doesn’t take much for a thief to break into an unsecured house or apartment, so why risk it? In this blog post, we will discuss five ways to make your home more secure during the holidays and beyond!

Ideas on how to make a home secure

1. Get an alarm system

An alarm system is one of the best ways to secure your home. Ensure that you have a monitored alarm, as this will be more effective at catching thieves breaking in. Even if you don’t need an advanced package, an LED light or other simple indication can deter burglars from trying to break into your house while you are away on vacation. Alarm systems start around $15/month and can go all the way up depending on what type of security measures you want to be installed – some things include cameras, motion sensors, etc. The benefits outweigh the price tag, though! Additionally, everyone living in a single-family dwelling (or probably anyone with valuable items) needs to consider having their locks rekeyed by a professional locksmith.

2. Install spotlights

Spotlights are a great way to improve your security, but they can also help you see better. They work by shining directly into the area that is being lit and lighting it up with bright light, so there’s no place for criminals to hide. As a result, spotlights will prevent anyone from breaking in without them knowing about it – even if someone manages to sneak past all of your other security measures! You should think about putting spotlights on doorways or around windows, as well as anywhere else where burglars could be hiding out until night falls. Nowadays, motion sensor lights have become popular because they aren’t hardwired like traditional outdoor floodlight fixtures – this means less installation time (and cost) plus more flexibility since you don’t need an electrician to come and install them.

3. Replace the windows

If you have any old or flimsy windows, it’s probably best to replace them with something sturdier. A great way to replace your windows is by installing secondary glazing windows. Even if they don’t look like anything is wrong with them, this could be a sign that the locks aren’t working properly, and burglars can break into your home pretty easily through these windows. Replacing all of your existing windows will give you peace of mind when leaving for vacation because no one would ever suspect that there’s an alarm system inside!

4. Add locks to doors and windows

Even if you have an excellent alarm system, deadbolt locks and other types of door security are still necessary. Ensure that every exterior entrance to your home has good quality locks. Check any sliding doors, French doors, garage doors – anywhere someone could get in from outside! For instance, you should consider getting a keypad lock for the front door or an electronic lock with a control pad near the main entrances into your house that can be opened by entering a code. These will make it much more difficult for thieves to break in because they won’t know how to open up any locked doors unless they pick them…which is time-consuming and loud!

5. Buy a watch dog

This is probably the most obvious way to secure your home for vacation – buy a watchdog! You can get an actual guard dog, or you could even rent one if it’s around Christmas time. Just make sure that whoever you choose will be able to stay at your place while you are away on holiday because they’ll need food and fresh water daily. Also, if the animal has any favorite toys, bring those along with some treats, so they don’t feel lonely when everyone else leaves town!

6. Find housesitters

If you are going away for the holidays and your home will be empty then you need to find housesitters. Housesitters will stay in your home and will look after you property and pets. The most important factor is they will keep your property safe because it appears occupied. Empty properties are vulnerable especially in the holidays.

Dog sitters in your own home

If you have dogs then find dogsitters to live in and care for your property and pets while you are away.

Join a housesitting website to check online listings 

The reason online networks like HouseSitMatch.com exist is to facilitate matches between home and pet owners and checked sitters who can help you care for your pets and property when you can’t. These networks are easy to join. Simply register online, create a profile and then create an advert which describes your dates for the assignment. Detail routines for your pets and what is required. The network will then share your assignment advert with the registered sitters and then they apply.

A final thought on how to make a home secure

In conclusion, securing your home for the holidays is very important. There are several things you can do to ensure that it’s safe when nobody is around. Even just one of these suggestions will help give you peace of mind – so don’t wait until Christmas Eve night! You should now have all of the information needed to keep everything safe during this upcoming New Year! These tips will help protect your home from burglars who break in over the winter holidays. If you apply them every day as much as you can then your home will be secure year round!

Further reading about home security, housesitting and housesitters

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about security, housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

Home security systems to consider

Modern home security for peace of mind

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

Top 10 tips for cat sitting

Top dog sitting tips for beginners