PROTECTING YOUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT AROUND THE HOLIDAYS

Whether you decide to spend the upcoming holidays at home or away from home, the chances are that “holiday thieves” will be lurking around once again. By taking a few easy steps, you can prevent your house from being targeted. This article will remind you of a few basic things you can do to discourage thieves from wanting to enter your home. Making your home more secure doesn’t have to be expensive. Thefts around holidays are in fact quite preventable.

1) NOTIFY A TRUSTED NEIGHBOR if you plan on leaving your home for a few days during the holidays. Surely, they won’t mind staying alert for any suspicious activity on their street and you may be able to repay them the same way in the future. Ask your neighbor to empty your mailbox while you are gone to prevent it from overflowing and making it obvious that you are gone.

2) DO NOT POST EVERYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA such as details of your trip or your location. Thieves nowadays have it very easy because people overshare personal things for the world to see. You can still post photos from your trip but do it after you return home to mitigate the risk of being robbed.

3) ALWAYS LOCK the doors whether you are leaving for a couple of days or for just ten minutes to go to the garage for instance. Some thieves are not afraid to go in while people are asleep at night in their home. In this scenario, it is a good idea to get into a habit of not leaving valuables such as laptops, phones, or car keys right by the door. And remember, leaving windows open or unlocked is one of the easiest ways for thieves to get inside your house.

4) INSTALL SOME DETERRENTS at the entrance of your house. Consider adding a doorbell or security camera. Even a camera that doesn’t actively record can still discourage thieves from trying their luck. Another thing that can scare thieves away is installing motion sensor lights. Dark streets and doorways are much more appealing for them.

One thing that is helpful all year round is having homeowner’s insurance policy that will cover you for thefts. Such policy can give you a peace of mind because it will cover financial loss in theft incidents. If you already have one but are not sure how it works in case of a break-in, be sure to find out more about the details of your policy, especially if you plan on traveling and leaving your home unattended for an extended period of time.

Since 1887, Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) has existed with a single, unwavering purpose: To protect the people who protect our nation. They provide military homeowner’s insurance, military renter insurance, military auto insurance and much more to our members. As a military family, you need insurance that matches your needs and protects what you value most. You deserve an insurance company that is committed to serving you. MilHousing Network is proud to partner with Armed Forces Insurance to bring military families’ reliable homeowner’s insurance options when buying a home. Visit AFI at www.afi.org/milhousing to learn how they can support your unique military lifestyle.

Andrea Marks is an Army spouse and a mom of two. Her educational background is professional journalism. Apart from writing articles for MilHousing Network blog, she is also an Encyclopedic Article Author for EBSCOhost Research Platform and a Child and Youth Program Assistant at a NATO military base in the Netherlands. At her previous location in South Korea, Andrea was a Volunteer Editor for a PCS reference guidebook.