With Christmas and the holiday season fast approaching, First National Real Estate is urging home sellers and tenants to keep their properties safe and secure. From Christmas lights safety, to securing your home before leaving on holidays, to bushfire danger precaution, First National shares its tips to ensure you enjoy a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday. Christmas Lights Safety 1. Check all lights, transformers, leads and power boards for any sign of wear and tear before decorating your property 2. Ensure all electrical equipment is marked compliant with Australian standards – avoid buying cheaper inferior products from overseas 3. Use indoor lights for indoors and weatherproof rated outdoor lights marked for outdoors – indoor lights don’t come with appropriate weatherproof ratings for outdoor use and aren’t suitable for verandas 4. Follow manufacturer’s instructions and don’t tamper with lights 5. Always turn off decorative lighting and extinguish candles before going to bed, going out as well as in stormy and rainy weather 6. Switch off and unplug lights when watering living Christmas trees 7. Don’t put Christmas lighting around or above swimming pools or have leads lying in water or wet areas 8. Test your smoke alarms to make sure they work Home Holiday Security 1. Always double check your home is securely locked – doors and windows 2. Don’t leave cash in the house and store valuables in a safe place 3. Review home and contents insurance to ensure it is current and you are up to date on payments 4. A wilted garden is a sign that no one is home – entrust a neighbour to give your garden a good hosing ahead of, during and after hot weather 5. Re-direct your mail, using a Parcel Locker or having a neighbour collect your mail