How to keep your home secure during Halloween

Halloween is around three weeks away, it’s a time when people will be dressing up in spooky costumes and walking the streets knocking on doors. This comes with potential dangers as it’s estimated that anti-social behaviour will rise by 17% on that night alone.

Groups of teens have been known to go out to cause trouble, this includes damaging people's property as well as breaking into homes. Many supermarkets stop selling eggs after a certain time on Halloween to limit disorder.

To give you better peace of mind, our security experts at Household Quotes have revealed six tips to keep your home secure on Halloween night.

Pumpkin carving is a fun activity to do with your family and friends, it’s tradition for them to be put on the outside of your home on Halloween. However, this can attract potential problems, as people might be out ‘pumpkin smashing’. These are normally young teenagers who walk around looking for pumpkins that they can smash. It can cause a lot of mess, and expensive damage if thrown against cars or houses. Your household members and neighbours might also feel intimidated in their own homes. So put your pumpkins on display inside your house, this can be on the windowsill facing the outside. 

Halloween night is a social time, so a lot of people tend to leave their doors unlocked. But don’t, as burglars will use the opportunity to try and gain access to your property. Ensure that all of your windows and doors are shut and secured, limiting the opportunity an intruder would have to enter your home.

By all means, decorate the outside of your property, but consider decorations that can be quickly packed away. Younger children tend to ‘trick or treat’ earlier on in the night, those who will be most likely to cause trouble will come later. Decorations are the invite for people to knock on your door. So to avoid any unwanted knockers, return your home to its normal look at around 8 pm. 

As you’ll be most likely answering your door to strangers, keep your valuables out of sight in a safe and secure location. The last thing you want is for someone to snatch the car key that was in a bowl or hook near your front door.

Vehicles are common targets for vandalism, this is because they are outside of the home and away from potential confrontation. Wing mirrors, windscreens and wipers are easy to damage with direct contact or via something thrown. To avoid your car from being damaged, move it to a safer space. This could include a garage if you have one, or in a secure area within a walkable distance.

Ring doorbells come in good use all year round, but particularly on Halloween as they will take a recording of everyone who knocks on your door. You will also be able to see what they get up to outside of your home once you’ve closed your front door. They can be bought brand new for £60, but are cheaper second-hand. Just make sure that they have fresh batteries to avoid the recording cutting out. CCTV might be another worthwhile investment, as you can then record the areas around your home that are more susceptible to anti-social behaviour.

‘’Halloween is a fun time, particularly for young children who like to dress up and go out to collect sweets. But some people see it as a time to act up and cause damage to people's property for their own gain or amusement. 

The tips I’ve provided should go some way in keeping your home secure on Halloween night. Don’t be too worried though, as the chances of you being a victim are quite slim. Most people will be enjoying the night in the right way.’’