The holiday season should be a time of joy and jubilation, but it also brings along plenty of stress for most people. Traveling to see your family leaves you at risk for burglary, while hosting your guests can damage your home or leave you liable for an accident. Protect your home and family while enjoying the holiday season with these six tips.

From Burglars and Vandals

• Don’t post about your plans to get away, or even spend the day shopping for gifts, on your social media accounts. You’d be shocked at what burglars and other criminals can find out about you and use against you to plan a crime. Stick to sharing those great home insurance quotes you found and turn off any automatic geo-tagging services your social platforms may use.

• Avoid running power cords for holiday lights and outdoor decorations through windows and doors. These cords leave the window or door open just a bit, creating a gap for criminals to wedge their way in.

• Keep up an affordable renters insurance plan or make sure your homeowner’s insurance is up to date. You definitely want a full replacement of your belongings if you’re a victim of a burglary during the holidays.

From Fire

• Check your tree’s water level at least twice a day, every day. A live tree can run out of water within a matter of hours and dry out to the point where even small holiday lights can start a serious house fire. Stick with faux trees if you plan to be away for more than a few days and don’t have someone to water the tree.

• Swap the traditional candles for battery powered ones. At the very least, make sure all candles are kept at least 6 feet away from flammable materials like wreaths and curtains, and avoid large candles with multiple wicks since they can pull up too much wax and start burning out of control. A supplemental fire insurance plan doesn’t hurt, either.

From Accidents

• If you host a party and serve alcohol or even allow guests to bring their own, don’t let them drive while inebriated. Even though almost all homeowner’s policies include some amount of general liability insurance, you can still be held responsible for a drunk driver’s accident.

Compare Home Insurance Quotes

• Make Sure that Your Home is Insured for at Least 100% of its Estimated Replacement Cost. To determine your amount of homeowners insurance coverage: Get an estimate of the replacement cost of your home. Select the home insurance coverage amount that best fits your needs.

Click the button below to get a free replacement cost estimate along with your homeowners insurance quote. It’s quick, free and easy!