Have a Safe X-mas

Have a Safe Christmas

(article published in Canarian Weekly 11th December 2009)

Burglars view the Christmas holiday very differently to the rest of us: where for us it is an opportunity to give, for them it is an opportunity to take. Many houses have more valuables in them at Christmas than at any other time of year – the presents under your tree that are meant for your loved ones can become a source of income for a burglar throughout December.

Although the sun is shining and we are still wearing short sleeves, the Holiday Season is here. Most people have been caught by the shopping fever and they are bringing all their presents and gifts home to be hidden away until the tree is put up and Santa arrives. The holiday season sees a sharp increase of home robberies-mostly from light fingers who are trying to steal expensive and new Christmas presents. Instead of waking up on Christmas morning to find hundreds of pounds worth of presents missing and allowing the defeat to soak in, there are a few things you can do.
First, homeowners can increase their home insurance coverage, even if it's just for the holiday season. Talk to your insurance agent and you can probably discover that to increase your home contents with 2.000€ more will mean probably a 20€ more on your annual house policy. Right now your home insurance probably covers the contents in your home when you first bought the policy. But with all of those new Christmas presents in your house-some of them probably rather valuable or pricey-and the potential for them to be taken by burglars, you should boost your home insurance to include the new items.
Contact your local home insurance agent and review in detail your home insurance policy. Evaluate the coverage your provider gave you regarding home content theft, and up to what amount will they reimburse you. Remember, your home insurance may just cover the possessions you had when you bought the policy. Odds are you have a lot more stuff-valuable stuff-now, and Christmas presents just added to it. Be sure to include these new items on your home insurance. Don't forget to practice safety and security so that those lovely presents don't end up in the hands of "uninvited guests!"
The other thing homeowners can do is to the security measures around your property is a good idea. It not only thwarts criminals, but it also helps to reduce your home insurance bill. Home insurance providers like the lower risk that comes with clients who actively try to protect their property. Here are just a few tips homeowners can use to put a stop to holiday home burglaries, increased home insurance claims, and find home insurance discounts:

Invest in a quality security system. And be sure to let your agent know about it-it will get you a significant home insurance discount.
Motion sensitive lights will also reduce home insurance costs. If a burglar lurks around your home, the exposing lights will turn on and force them to retreat.
Double check your deadbolts and update as necessary. Most home burglary crimes are committed right at the front door - or one of your entry doors. Make sure your front door is solid and that your deadbolt is a high caliber deadbolt.
Guard those Christmas presents! This is the loot the burglars are coming for. And they'll look in the most likely place: under the Christmas tree. Instead, keep presents locked away until it's time to exchange gifts. When disposing of empty boxes, practice discretion. If a burglar sees an empty box for a new Blu-Ray player or the latest iPod Touch in your trash, they may be tempted to make a late-night visit.
Keep your personal safety a priority as you are doing your holiday shopping, night time entertaining, and just enjoying the season with family and friends. Keep in mind that even while at the shopping center it only takes a second for someone to try and steal your purse or packages and be gone into a sea of people. Be on high alert and stay aware of what is going on around you at all times.

Christmas Lights
Fire and smoke damage are common Yuletide claims, with accidents caused by faulty fairy lights, untended candles and people falling asleep with burning cigarettes. Christmas lights, unchecked, create electrical shorts at inopportune times. Candles are left burning, and of course holiday parties, with alcohol involved many times, create opportunity for cigarette butts left in places like sofas or dropped in trash cans, that many times smolder in sofa's or cans without anyone's knowledge. According to Insurance statics, the number of house fires increases significantly over the Christmas period. Carefully inspect each electrical decoration. Cracked or frayed sockets, loose or bare wires and loose connections may cause a serious shock or start a fire. Don't staple or nail through light strings or electrical/extension cords. Please be safe this holiday season and remember that fire safety is especially important this time of year.
Keep your car safe from break-in bandits
Statistics say most house burglaries and thefts from vehicles are committed by opportunist thieves and leaving wrapped gifts in full view at this time of year is putting temptation in their way. Very often the presents on the back shelf of a car can be seen from the outside, putting temptation in their path. Don't leave goods and presents on view in your car. Park in busy and well lit locations Never leave your keys in the car and always keep your car locked. It would be especially infuriating to have your things driven away in your own car.
Safe business:
The value of many shops, restaurants and bars contents goes up during the Christmas period thanks to the stock of presents and extra food in the freezers. Make sure your business insurance policy takes this rise in value into account. Some insurers do automatically increase your level of cover over the Christmas holidays, but it's always best to double check.
Are you going away for Christmas?
Take steps to ensure your property is as safe and secure as possible. Make sure any garden fencing is secure and fit security lights that come on as anyone approaches your property. Lock away any garden valuables and make sure your house looks occupied – use light timers all year round, setting them to run from dark until 2:00 a.m. and close the curtains.
Leave your radios on whenever you are out. Even if a burglar has seen people leave the house, they won't know for sure if anyone is home or not. The trick here (and with the lighting) is to make it look like someone is home at all times.
If you are going to be away from home for a couple of weeks or more, call the police and let them know how long you'll be gone and who has a key to your house. This will help officers determine whether or not the person watering plants has your permission for entry while you are gone.
Don't advertise your absence: Finally, don't announce the fact that you're going away on social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. These are just the sort of open invitations opportunistic thieves look out for.

Take a few precautions to secure your home and have a wonderful Holiday!

Susana Dias is the Director of TVT - the Zurich Insurance Agency in Los Cristianos legally inscribed at the DGS (Direccion General de Seguros Española) with the number C0530B38657193 - more than 15 years providing excellent service.

Contact the Author for more information or any doubt you might have