Director at security specialist FSD Electrics Chris Waldron said the major steps would be to have a security or CCTV system for your home.

"The systems are great these days as you can connect them up to report to your smartphone," he said.

"If you didn't have anything like that in place, the main thing would be to make sure you secure all your doors and windows.

"Some types of windows can still be jammed open so look into having a double lock or putting timber behind them in the slides."

Mr Waldron said tactics such as leaving a light on can conceal the fact that a house is empty.

"A lot of these break-ins involve people going up to the house and turning the power off at the switchboard. They leave for a day and come back to find the power hasn't been switched back on, it shows it's an empty house.

"A big thing you can do is contact your electrical provider and get a lock for your switchboard and that prevents that problem.

"If you do travel away, it is good to put your valuables in a safe or hide them away rather than just leaving them out like your normally would, especially spare car keys as a vehicle is probably one of the biggest things that can be stolen during a burglary."

Insurance provider Budget Direct had nominated Albury as one of the most risky locations in Australia for Christmas holiday burglaries with 12.9 burglaries for every 10,000 people. However, Wagga had a higher number of total offences with 93 break and enter dwelling thefts recorded over November and December in 2020, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistic and Research.

"With gift giving being such a big part of the celebrations for many, it's likely that we'll have more high value items in our homes than at other points in the year," Budget Direct chief growth officer Jonathan Kerr said.

"If you're visiting friends and family, it's a good idea to keep any gifts out of sight ... with just a few simple adjustments, you can significantly reduce your risk of being burgled."

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