Winter Home Security Tips

Why do winter burglaries occur?

• Holiday travel means empty homes. Remember the movie Home Alone? While, yes most parts of the movie were far-fetched, the block of empty homes during the holidays was pretty spot-on. Many people travel during the winter months, leaving their homes empty and a prime target for burgles.
• Fewer daylight hours. One thing we all know is burglars do not like to be seen. Fewer daylight hours in the winter means more time after sundown to commit crimes.
• More unattended cars. If you’ve ever let your car warm up in cold weather, you’re not alone, who likes to get into a cold car after all? However, an unattended, running car is an open invitation for theft.
• More deliveries to homes. During the winter season the number of packages delivered to homes almost triples in Ireland. This influx in packages can lead to an increase in porch piracy or package theft from your front porch or home.

Protecting your home from burglars

Home security tips

• Don’t make it look like you’re not home. The number one goal for a burglar? Don't get caught. Homes that look empty are easy targets, so make sure you take steps to look like you're home even if you're traveling. If you live in an area that snows, for example, undisturbed snow in the driveway and up to the door is a good indication of no one's home. If you’re going to be away, consider hiring someone to clear your driveway and front walkway of snow or ask a neighbor to collect any mail and packages you might be expecting.
• Use automated or smart lighting. Nothing says “No one’s home!” like a dark house. At the same time, unnatural lighting patterns (such as the same lights left on day and night for several days) can also indicate to a burglar that no one’s home. With GoKonnects smart lighting, you can control your lights from your smartphone or automate your lighting to give the appearance of being home.

• Keep your home's exterior well-lit. Keeping your home's exterior well-lit this will also help deter potential burglars who don't want to be seen. This is especially important in the winter when it gets darker sooner. Automated porch lights and motion lights placed around your property or in your garage are excellent ways to keep would-be burglars away.
• Keep windows and doors locked. Believe it or not, 34% of burglars don't technically "break in" at all; they simply walk in through an unlocked front door. Another 22% get in through an unlocked window. With that in mind, making sure your doors and windows stay locked is a very simple way to help protect your home from burglars. You can also consider installing smart home technology, door sensors, and window sensors, which sound smart alarms if a window or door is opened.
• Install indoor and outdoor cameras. Not only do security cameras act as a powerful visual deterrent, but they can also help you provide valuable evidence to law enforcement if you ever are burglarized. Consider installing both indoor and outdoor cameras for an extra set of eyes both inside and outside your home.

• Don't give burglars a reason to break in. You probably already have blinds and curtains to keep people from peeking into your home, but there's another way you could be letting potential burglars see what's inside—your bins. This is particularly true during the winter holiday months when people get new toys and gifts. Don't leave boxes for expensive/ desirable items like new television sets or computers on the path for the rubbish, where potential burglars could see.
• Get a home security system. If you want true peace of mind, consider investing in a GoKonnect home security system. A complete home security system from GoKonnect includes all the smart technology your home needs to protect it. This includes indoor and outdoor cameras, smart lighting, smart door locks, and motion detectors to catch any activity in your home, including both door sensors and window sensors that sound an alarm if breached. And our monitored security systems go a step further. If burglar alarms are tripped inside the home, your system will alert our 24/7 monitoring center, which then contacts local authorities.