Secure your home while you and your family are away for the holidays. Whether you're stepping out to run errands or leaving town, be sure to follow these home security tips. Clever Hiding Places author, Tom Skinner, reveals important home security tips for the holidays.

1. Holiday Home Security

2. Home for the Holidays
The holidays are among
us. For many, “home
for the holidays”
means going away to
visit family, leaving
your home, and your
valuables, unattended.

3. Burglary Statistics
Many people leave town without taking the proper precautions to keeping their home
and their belonging safe while they are gone. But shocking statistics prove home
security should be taken seriously.
National Statistics
• A burglary takes place every about every 14 seconds
• 9% of criminals enter homes through the garage
• 12% of burglaries occur via unlocked doors
• 22% of thieves enter homes through the back door
• 23% of thieves come in through a first floor window
• 32% of burglaries happen without force
• 34% of robbers come in through the front door
• 60% of home burglaries occur during the day
• 60% of burglaries involve forced entry
• 65% of burglaries involve residential properties
• 85% of all burglary attempts are successful
• 88% of burglars are never caught
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report

4. Don’t be a Statistic
What can you do to provide
peace of mind that your
home is safe while you are
away?
The following home security
tips will help you deter
burglars while you and
your family are away,
allowing you to enjoy your
holiday vacation.

5. Lights
A home with no lights on signals to
others that no one is home. Don’t be
an easy target; throw thieves off by
signaling there are people home by
making precautions to properly light
your home while you are gone.
• Install motion censored lights on the
exterior of your home.
• Use electric timers to turn on the
radio and interior lights at different
times throughout the day and night.
Most burglars will suspect someone is
home and skip your home when the
lights and radio are on.

6. Privacy
Burglars often times scope out houses to
rob based on the valuables they see
inside. During the holidays, many
people have gifts for friends and
family, making their homes even
more enticing for thieves.
• Keep valuables away from exterior
windows.
• Install window coverings on all
exterior doors and windows.
• Block garage windows with drapes or
paint them solid.
• Keep your garden and lawn tools out
of sight and locked up.

7. Locks
Sounds like a no-brainer, but many
people step out to take out the trash,
walk the dog, or run a quick errand
without locking the door. Whether
you’re leaving for vacation or staying
put, make sure you don’t allow easy
access for a robber to enter and exit
your home.
• Lock all exterior doors and windows.
• Secure sliding glass doors by inserting
a metal rod or stick in the inside track.
• If you have a hide-a-key, find a secure
location to keep it. It’s safer to leave a
spare key with a neighbor you trust.

8. Clever Hiding Places
For more information on how you
can safeguard your home, get
the complete DIY home
security package. The Clever
Hiding Places book reveals over
250 clever hiding places and
accompanying DVD
demonstrates 10 of author Tom
Skinner’s favorite hiding places.
cleverhidingplaces.com