You should know how to protect your home during Halloween because it's known to law enforcement as one of the most active days of the year. During All Hallows' Eve, hobgoblins play many tricks and your property could well be a victim. To avoid a big mess, there are proactive steps you can take. After all, you certainly do not want to discover property damage late in the evening or the next morning.
Typical Halloween Property Damage
If you think you don't need to prepare, think again. Did you know auto vandalism incidents are twice as high on Devil's Night over any other day of the year? Research by the Highway Loss Data Institute shows Mischief Night is the best time to park cars inside locked garages. Aside from vehicle vandalism, other popular but unfortunate shenanigans are mailbox bashing, Jack-o'-Lantern smashing, toilet papering, and egging.
Halloween has the potential to bring out the world’s best fun or worst mischief. To ensure that your holiday is full of treats instead of tricks, consider using helpful [prevention] tips to protect your home from Halloween pranksters. --Bob Vila.com
What's more alarming is the number of home burglaries go way up on Halloween night. Since homeowners leave their properties to trick-or-treat, residences are left unattended and thieves take advantage. In addition to all of this, the number of dog bite injuries skyrocket as furry four-legged family members panic when confronted by waves of strangers. So, it's a good idea to check your homeowner's insurance policy and to keep Fido in a safe place, away from the commotion.
How to Protect Your Home during Halloween
To prevent property damage on All Hallowe'en, you'll have to take a few steps so the night is incident free. Since it gets dark early, as the sun sets just before six o'clock, start preparing during the weekend. Here are some helpful tips for how to protect your home during Halloween:
- Block access to your yard. On All Saints' Eve, not every costumed child (or adult) will act like a saint, so be prepared by block access to your yard. You don't need to erect a perimeter security fence, but creating a barrier is usually enough to dissuade mischief.
- Use plenty of outdoor lighting. Although it's traditional to set a spooky scene, you don't need to invite problems and that's what darkness conceals best. Use a lot of outdoor lighting, strategically shining to prevent people from wreaking havoc.
- Set up a candy station in the driveway. You might be accustomed to greeting trick-or-treaters at your front door but that's just too far to go when temptation is concerned. Set up a candy station near the street in your driveway instead. This way you're able to greet away from your home and it benefits concerned parents.
- Display home security signs everywhere. One great way to discourage property damage is to conspicuously display home security signs around your residence. Even if you don't actually have a security system installed, prominent signage makes great prevention tools.
If you are considering buying or selling a home in or near the Hillcrest Ranch community, in the city of Glendale or elsewhere in Maricopa County, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you with anything you need.