As the run up to Christmas gets fully underway, your house becomes more of a target to burglars as we bring home the goodies ready for the big day. On average in the UK we spend £624 each on presents and food and drink, which means the value of your contents increases significantly during this time, so to avoid falling victim to thieves, it’s worth checking with your home insurance provider to ensure these extra items are covered should the worst happen. Many home insurance providers automatically increase the home contents cover by 10% during the festive period, however not all insurers carry this policy so it’s worth checking before you start stocking up for Christmas. Statistics have revealed that you’re more likely to be targeted by burglars in the winter months, with domestic break-ins rising by 63% during this time. Longer hours of darkness and homes filled with extra items in preparation for Christmas are two of the biggest factors which lead to higher levels of burglaries so to help minimise your chances of falling prey to these criminals there are a number of things you can do. Never leave your gifts under the tree, high value items should be hidden somewhere less obvious so as to not make it so easy for thieves to make off with these goods or see them from your window. Once the presents have been opened, be careful of how you dispose of the boxes your goods arrived in; leaving them on the street for the bin men will just advertise the fact that you have a new plasma TV or iPad inside. If you are going away for Christmas, try to make it look like you are at home by leaving lights on, or asking a neighbour to drop by.