Be Careful of WHAT and WHEN You Post Family Photos!

Travelling during the Christmas holiday season? There's nothing worse than coming back to a home that just had a break-in. 

Here's the TOP 6 HOLIDAY SECURITY TIPS you can implement to protect your Home and Property while you're travelling.

1. USE COMMON SENSE

DO NOT advertise on Facebook or Instagram that you are on vacation. Social media is the equivalent of a diary in a glass house. You may think you’re letting your friends and family know you’re having a great time, but people often forget to change their privacy settings. Thieves will also know you are travelling.

If you like to post photos - post them after you get back.

If you lose a key, then get the locks changed. A better alternative is to eliminate keys altogether by installing an alarm.com smart lock with built in keypad.

Ask all strangers for identification. The person who is “lost” and looking for directions could actually be a burglar checking to see if someone is home.

Never hide an extra key outdoor - especially underneath a mat or on top of a light fixture. This is the first place the bad guys look. Leave an extra house key with a friend or a neighbor. Again, a better alternative is to eliminate keys altogether by installing an alarm.com smart lock with built in keypad.

For insurance purposes take photos of the contents of your home and keep all receipts in an off-site location. Great options are Google Drive, Microsoft Cloud and Dropbox.

Write down the model and serial number of all electronics. This will come in handy for a future Police report and insurance claim.

3. MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE AT HOME

Burglars target unoccupied homes so keep your home well lit at night. Install timers that turn lights, radios and televisions on at different times. This gives the appearance that someone is home. A better option is to install alarm.com smart lights and smart appliance modules and setup on an alternating schedules.

If you’re taking an extended vacation of more than a week, hire a student or service to shovel your driveway.

Cancel the newspaper and have a friend or neighbour pick-up your mail.

Park a vehicle in the drive-way. Don’t forget to lock the doors and remove any valuables.

Most new home buyers focus on area, proximity to schools, proximity to work, layout, colors, and landscaping. And, often overlook security and safety.

Here a 4 Regina Security Tips to protect your Home and Family and reduce losses:

1. DO NOT HIDE SPARE KEYS

Doormats, Mailboxes, Plant Pots, and Bins are all common hiding places for spare keys. A better security option is to leave an extra key with a trusted neighbor or family member. The best security option is to install a smart lock that connects to your smart security system. You can lock and unlock doors with a keypad or remotely with *free Alarm.com apps.

2. REDUCE PREDICTABILITY

Many burglars look for patterns before they target a home. Burglars watch for what time you leave for work and what time you arrive home. It's also obvious when people go for vacation because they often forget to cancel the paper and haven't made arrangements to shovel the driveway. 

Make sure you have a trusted neighbor or family member collect your mail and clear your driveway/cut your lawn.

3. INSTALL PROPER LIGHTING

Many burglars take advantage of the dark and like to hide behind shrubs and trees. For better security install motion sensitive lights that activate when a potential intruder is in the area. For best security install smart lights that connect to your smart security system. Smart lights are controlled on schedules and can make it look like you are at Home (most break-in's occur when you are away). 

4. INSTALL A SMART SECURITY SYSTEM

A Reed Security monitored home security system reduces the chances of having a break-in by 400%. Insurance Companies agree and provide discounts up to 25% on your annual home insurance policy.  A Regina home-owner with $1200 annual insurance premium could save up to $300 a year. 

A Reed Smart Security system is customized to your specific needs, but we also have $0 Down Smart Packages to make your protection choices a little easier. Our most popular $0 Down Smart Package is designed to offer you the Maximum protection and Maximum insurance discounts and includes:

1           IQ 7” Touchscreen with Emergency Police & Fire Buttons

3          IQ door/window sensors

1           IQ smart motion sensor (pet-friendly, 40 pounds)

1           IQ smoke/fire/heat sensor

1           IQ high + low temp. sensor

1          IQ flood sensor     

1           Alarm.com 3G radio (works on SaskTel)

1           built-in 85db siren

1           24hr back-up battery

1           Professional Installation

1           Protected by Reed Security Warning Signage   

1         Silver Parts & Labour Warranty Plan

1         24/7 ULC Monitoring Plan
with Police and Fire dispatch

1         Alarm.com Interactive Gold Plan

·         No phone line required

·         Smash & Crash protection

·         Arm/Disarm with apps

·         2 Way Voice

·         E-mail alerts including Disarm Photos

Optional control of door locks, garage doors, thermostat, lights, HD cameras, shades