There are less than two weeks until Christmas! At this time of year, Australian families are often on the road visiting their friends and family which can leave the home vulnerable to intruders. You want to spend your time relaxing and enjoying the Christmas season, so below we have outlined 5 simple tips for keeping your home secure over Christmas! 1. Lock windows and doors Locking the front door as you leave the house is an engrained routine, but in the stress of the Christmas period, we often forget about windows! You may be tempted to leave a window or two cracked open for ventilation while you’re gone, but this will provide easy access points for intruders to enter your home. This would be the perfect time to consider what hardware you have on your screens - triple locks are a great idea to consider. We’ve detailed the difference between a single lock and a triple lock HERE. 2. Phone a friend! Burglars are opportunistic and often target homes that look unoccupied, so the tried and true method of having a friend or family member staying at your home while you’re not there is a great deterrent. 3. Investment in an alarmed security system with back-to-base capabilities If you’ve been thinking of investing in a security system for your home, the holiday season will be a big motivator! Having a back-to-base model will mean that if your alarm is triggered day or night, your security company will be alerted and will contact you, your emergency contacts, or emergency services if necessary. 4. Cameras and lighting Thieves target homes that look unoccupied and insecure when casing homes to burgle. Having visible deterrents such as security cameras and additional lighting will make intruders think twice about targetting your home - and in the worst-case scenario, the footage from the cameras can provide valuable evidence to police. 5. Security doors and windows Security doors and windows are a simple but effective way to ensure the safety of your home and contents this Christmas. Many Australian homes have diamond grille screening which is merely a barrier to the home, and not security (you can find a post on the difference HERE) Secure View doors and windows adhere to Australian Security Standards and have surpassed knife shear tests, pull tests, and anti-jemmy tests just to start! You can be confident knowing that your screens have undergone the tests necessary to withstand intrusions. Visually, they also give the appearance of a home is secure and impenetrable. You’ve worked hard for your home and belongings, so it’s crucial to be vigilant over the Christmas season when it comes to the security of your home. Implementing these simple tips over the Christmas period will make your home safe so you can spend the season enjoying time with your loved ones and not worrying about your home’s security.