More Americans travel on Thanksgiving weekend than on any other
weekend, kicking off America’s busiest travel season. Whether you’re visiting
relatives or taking a vacation, your Destin home is a potential target for
burglars while you’re away. According to the FBI, every 14 seconds a burglary
occurs somewhere in the U.S. Burglary rates have risen during the recession and
are expected to rise further during the coming holidays.
Surprisingly, most burglaries do not occur in the dark of
night, but during the day between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. More than a third of
burglars gain entry by forcing open the front door. And don’t think you’re safe
if you have already moved out and your home is sitting empty while it’s on the
market. The struggling economy and high price of metals have made it lucrative
for thieves to burgle empty houses in search of copper pipe and wiring, leaving
Destin home sellers [http://www.gulfcoastrealestatesales.com/selling.php] with a
mess and hefty repair bill.
If your South Walton home will be unattended over the
holidays or while it’s on the market, there are a number of steps you can take to
protect your home from burglary. Research has shown that if it takes more than 4
to 5 minutes to break in, most burglars will give up; so anything you do to
make it harder for a burglar to enter your home reduces your risk of burglary.
- Install a home security
system. Burglars are three times less
likely to burgle a home protected by an alarm system.
- If you are selling your
home, choose an experienced Destin Realtor and let her know when your home
will be vacant. An expert South Walton real estate agent [http://www.destinrealestatesales.com/]
will be showing your home frequently, making it less of a target.
- Notify your neighbors and
local police of your travel dates and provide an emergency contact number.
- Purchase vacant home
insurance.
