December Home Security Tips: Protect Your Home During the Festive Season
December is a busy month — darker nights, Christmas shopping, deliveries arriving daily, and many families travelling or visiting loved ones. Unfortunately, it’s also the peak month for burglaries in the UK, with opportunistic thieves targeting homes filled with gifts and parcels.
At mydome, we create simple, reliable home security products designed to deter intruders and protect your property throughout the winter season.
Here are the essential home security steps for December to keep your home, garden, and outbuildings safe.
1. Keeping Your Home Looking Occupied Over Christmas
With families going out more during December and evenings fully dark by late afternoon, an empty home becomes an obvious target.
Use the mydome Light Switch Timer to automate your existing wall lights — perfect for making your home look lived-in even when you’re away shopping or visiting relatives.
Why it works:
✔ Mimics real household activity
✔ Switches lights on/off on a programmable schedule
✔ No Wi-Fi or smart bulbs needed
✔ Ideal when you’re away for a day or a week
Explore the Light Switch Timer
2. Protect Your Christmas Deliveries From Theft
December sees the highest parcel theft in the UK due to online shopping peaks.
To protect your deliveries:
Ask couriers to leave parcels behind a side gate
Have parcels delivered to a trusted neighbour
Use a porch storage box with a padlock
Install a mydome Garden Sensor for instant movement alerts
With a mydome sensor placed near your front path or porch, you’ll be notified the moment someone approaches.
Explore the Garden & Approach Sensor
3. Secure Sheds, Garages & Garden Buildings
Sheds and garages are high-value targets in December as criminals look for easily stolen items such as:
Bikes
New tools or gardening equipment
Christmas decorations temporarily stored outside
Outdoor toys
Install a mydome Motion Alarm inside your shed or garage to deter intruders instantly.
Benefits:
✔ Loud 125dB alarm
✔ Easy, wireless setup
✔ Designed for sheds, garages & outbuildings
View the Shed & Garage Motion Alarm
4. Don’t Display Gifts Near Windows
Burglars often “window shop” in the weeks before Christmas.
Avoid placing:
🎁 Wrapped gifts
📦 Delivery boxes
🎮 Electronics
💍 Jewellery
…in view of front windows or patio doors.
Use curtains or blinds as soon as it gets dark, and keep display areas clear.
5. Avoid Posting Holiday Plans Online
Many Christmas break burglaries occur after burglars notice social media posts about:
Going away
Visiting family for several days
Travelling abroad
Keep holiday news private until after your return.
6. Use Multiple Lighting Points for Realistic Activity
A single timer light helps, but using multiple automated light points is much more effective.
Great places to automate lighting:
Hallway
Landing
Living room
Bedroom
Kitchen
With the mydome Light Switch Timer, it’s easy to automate real ceiling lights rather than leaving lamps on constantly.
7. Check Perimeter Access Routes
Burglars often approach from darker, concealed areas such as:
Side gates
Alleyways
Rear gardens
Gaps between houses
Ensure you:
✔ Keep side gates locked
✔ Install motion alarms in garden routes
✔ Trim shrubs or hedges that hide entry points
✔ Move bins away from fences (they can be used as climbing aids)
8. Be Cautious With Christmas Lighting Cables
Electrical safety matters in December.
When running festive lights:
Avoid feeding cables through windows left ajar
Use outdoor-safe extension leads
Don’t block access routes with wires
Avoid lighting that makes your home look empty from outside
A window left slightly open for a cable is often enough to compromise security — always route cables safely.
9. Prepare Your Home Before Travelling
If you’re away during Christmas or New Year:
Use light timers in several rooms
Set up shed/garage alarms
Leave a car in the drive if possible
Ask a neighbour to remove post buildup
Hide valuables well out of sight
Use garden sensors for perimeter alerts
Small steps make a big difference in deterring break-ins.
Final Thoughts: A Safe & Secure Festive Season
December brings joy, celebrations and time with loved ones — but also increased risks for home security.
The mydome product range helps you protect your home through:
✔ Automated lighting
✔ Perimeter detection
✔ Shed & garage alarms
✔ Delivery protection
