Protect Your Home Security With Holiday House Guests

For some people, the holidays can be a more stressful time then a joyous one. Sure, everyone is supposed to get together in the Christmas/Hanukkah/winter spirit to celebrate good food, friendship, and family. But for most people, that plan does not always work out exactly. There are bickering in-laws, self-righteous kids who just got back from their first semester at a liberal arts college, rambunctious children, and the obligatory casually racist uncle who is a borderline alcoholic. It’s one thing when you get to be a houseguest at some poor, unfortunate relative’s house in Washington state, but when you are the host or hostess and everyone is suddenly coming to Seattle, things can be a little tough. You have to organize for everyone to come, figure out where they are going to stay, rearrange your house to accommodate them, make sure there is always enough food and beverage, and delicately consider broaching the subject of remuneration for the amount of things you have to buy. Oh, and do not forget the fact that you have to figure out how to quadruple your famous mashed sweet potato recipe so that it feeds 20 people!

But one thing you might not have considered when inviting all of these friends and relatives into your home is the impact it might have on your home security. These people are your blood relatives and your closest friends, so naturally you are not expecting them to casually stuff your cash and passports into their suitcases before their return flight home. But there are subtler home security issues that you should consider, but may neglect to.

First of all, if anyone is bring a new boyfriend or girlfriend, you might want to consider the fact that you do not know this person, or what their life story and/or motivations are. It never hurts to put a few valuables in a safe in your room, just in case. This will also be good to do if there are young children who will be running around. A curious 4-year-old nephew may not realize the value of that ruby anniversary necklace you have lying on your bedside table before he flushes it down the toilet, or casually sticks it in his little sister’s diaper.

You also want to remember the fact that your houseguests may not know what your family’s home security precautions and procedures are. While you, your spouse, and children might know that it is the family’s policy to lock the backdoor every time you leave the house, they might be inclined to leave it open. Consider making a spare key for them, and making sure they know how to use it!

Also, with many home security systems these days, you can add a special password for individual users, which you can do for your relatives so that they can turn your home alarm on and off without you having to give them your main password. This will be useful if you have relatives in their 20s who may want to go check out the local Seattle bar scene after everyone else has gone to bed!

Check out this adt program around Seattle. With a free alarm to start, how can you resist upgrading your home security?