Don’t let the Grinch Steal Your Holiday Cheer
Allstate Insurance Company Provides
Home Protection Tips for the Holiday Season
BUFFALO GROVE, IL (December 3, 2008) – Thanksgiving through New Years is a festive time filled with in-home parties, holiday travel and gift giving. It is also open season for property crimes. The busy holiday months provide a variety of distractions for homeowners who may inadvertently create opportunities for burglars and identity thieves to steal their holiday cheer. Allstate Insurance Company provides five tips for property protection to help Midwesterners enjoy a worry-free winter season.
“Take a couple hours this weekend to review your home protection plans and check your insurance coverage,” said Alice Byrne, Field Vice President for Allstate’s Midwest Region. “There are steps that everyone can take to help deter thieves and protect your property.”
1. Deter would-be thieves with a “lived-in” look. According to the FBI, 63.6 percent of residential burglaries took place during the day in 2007. If you are planning to travel this holiday season, make sure your home looks lived-in, day and night. Burglars will look for signs to see if a house is empty, including whether cans are placed out on garbage day, if mail or newspapers are piling up, if cars are missing or staying the same place for a period of time, and if lights are turning on. Put several household lights on timers so they turn on and off at appropriate times. In addition, be sure to lock all doors and windows at all times, and consider a security system with a loud inside alarm, detectors at all exterior doors, and motion sensors in the master bedroom and main living areas. Many insurance companies offer discounts for monitored security systems.