# Halloween- Yard Setup \ Prop Protection



## ScareRookie (Aug 1, 2008)

Hey fellow haunters! Looking for some feedback. I typially setup and tear down my haunt the same day as trick or treating and it sucks. I would like to setup early so people could enjoy but I am concerned with theft and vandalism. I dont live in a bad neighborhood or anything but people do bad things sometimes. 95 percent of everything I have is hand made with a lot of time put in. 
How early do you setup before trick or treating and do you have issues with theft of vandalism?. My other concern is wind damage. A lot of my props are hand sculpted Styrofoam board so worried about that as well.

Do you setup early and how much earlier?
Issues with theft or vandalism?
Do you do anything specific to protect your props?


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## Sblanck (Sep 13, 2007)

I set up first weekend of October. I have a cemetery fence around the yard. No one has done anything yet. Actually in all my years and locations of haunting the only folks to give me a hard time are city officials.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

We do same day setup and tear down too.


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## Life with lights (May 8, 2019)

Good morning, I also build and make most all my props. I start the first day of October setting up my lights show. last year was the first time using LOR. my daughters and me it takes almost a week to set everything up. we been living same place for 8 yrs. we have never had any problems. I like setting up early so people can come by and watch the show. Even my neighbors will walk by just to watch us crazies setting everything up. If all your neighbors are behind you then you shouldn't have to worry. They will also be watching all your hard work. Supporting and keeping eyes on everything with you.


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## MonsterMike (Jul 11, 2014)

*Ain't skeered*

Heck, I start the last week of September. Call me impatient Cow lol. And it would take a great deal of theft and vandalism for me to stop. Like most, I have time And money invested in my props. So far, everyone's been respectful. :jol:


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## kallen (Jun 23, 2008)

I start slowly around oct. 1st. Anything of value doesn't get put out until the last minute and gets put away that night. The next morning it just looks like basic decorations again.


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## zawackij (Apr 14, 2014)

*Security*

I start about a week before. Put out most of my statics out a little each day.
Animations go out the day of. Brought back in at the end of night.
Never has a problem with any of my statics. I have a

Bunker Hill Security® Wireless Security Alert System from Harbor Freight. Cost about $15

It rings a tone anytime anyone enters the yard.

Some people even hack them to trigger animations. Plenty of Youtues on how to do this.


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## Britneybear (Jul 1, 2015)

Hi, I make a lot of my props also. I’ve lived in South Florida for many years. My neighborhood has turned from nice to iffy over the years. I usually start the last week in September because it takes me the entire month to really get everything out and situated. I do not put out my unprotected Animatronics till the very end, and only if I am sure there is no rain coming. Most of my stuff is made with rain and wind in mind, so my situation varies from yours. I have never had any vandalism. All month long I have people coming to my door asking if they can take pictures in my yard. I’ve even had the police ride by, commenting on their loudspeaker positive things about my yard LOL. I had one person come to my house three different times to see if I could put a “ curse” on her babies daddy, even though I explained each time it’s just Halloween, and I’m not into anything like that. Heck, one year I even had a newer neighbor come to my door and ask me why I had all the stuff in my yard but yet at Christmas, I put up a Nativity scene. After I explained that Halloween is American tradition, that it has nothing to do with my spiritual beliefs, they told me I need to put a big sign up in my yard explaining my reasoning for celebrating Halloween. Come to think about it, one year I heard all this yelling outside my house, I walked outside and there was an UPS man with a package for me, standing in the middle of the street Yelling at a prop I had made that was rocking in the rocking chair on my covered porch. He thought it was me dressed up he explained. Of course that did not explain why he didn’t come up to the door or even venture onto the front lawn. By the way I don’t do gory, only spooky. So… I’ve had all kinds of experiences but zero vandalism. Good luck.


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## Cephus (Sep 10, 2018)

I set up at the beginning of October and have never had a problem. Nothing has ever been stolen or damaged.


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## DonHBloomer (Feb 2, 2016)

I put up lights the last weekend of September and then the main decorations the first weekend of October. I have a "Cemetery" fence around most of it and CAUTION tape around the rest. (It is from the dollar store and actually says Haunted House.)
Some of my Styrofoam tombstones have very thin plywood glued to the back. For my taller props I used thin aluminum wire as guy-wire. I then disguise the wire with spider webs. So I do not worry about high winds.
I have had no problems; plus with the neighbors seeing the decorations grow over the month I get a huge increase of people coming by to see my work.


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

you could add alarms to any valuable props with these magnetic window thingys..
mount one side in the prop and (i'd use a steel wire to) attach the other half of the alarm to a stake in the ground, gives you a bit of slack to play with.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

I think a lot depends upon where you live, in regards to the community and the weather.
Some places, stuff will get stolen the minute you, the installer, are out of sight, other places it may be safe to leave your stuff out for a month or so prior to, or after the event.
I like the slow build up of the haunt, if you can get away with it, because it helps build the mystery and anticipation by potential guests, and it also tends to be less labor intensive than trying to both set up and tear down on the day of.
If you face potential bad weather (rain, snow, etc.,) then you may want, or have to wait 'til the last minute.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Pretty much the same as you... set up / tear down the same day, worry of theft, sun, wind, water, UV prop damage, etc.

I sort of 'try' to split the difference: Set out a few pumpkins as decorations early in the month (of course one of those got stolen right off the porch last year). Luckily, I also have a big bay window, so I set up a 'scene' in that and change my outdoor/porch lights to blacklights.

This sort of gives the place a spooky appearance and lets people know "Halloween celebrated here" without a lot of props to easily walk off.

Possibly you could do similar with window decor inside, some lighting outside, or some very cheap props that are no big loss if (when) they grow legs and walk off.


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## Fiend4Halloween (Aug 28, 2008)

I start putting lights up at the end of September. I then add static props, create a cemetery, and by then, the buzz starts to generate and people drive by, saying thanks for putting it up, come by weekly to see what's new. I too put up a plastic fence to aid in keeping people out of the yard and add animatronics the day of. The same night I put the animatronics in the garage and remove anything else of a higher value. Luckily, people in the area have been nice, even the teens, respectful and grateful since I'm the only home within a few blocks that decorates. The area is completely dark the whole month of October, but it's reversed starting in November, I'm the only house not Xmas decorated lol.


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## RebelTech (Jun 18, 2019)

I am always afraid of theft, as well as weather damage. I tend to start small and then work to the big stuff 3-4 days out. It still draws the attention, but doesn't leave anything vulnerable for long. There are still a handful of final touches that go up and come down the day of.


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

I always was a put up and take down the same day haunter. I get a lot of my fill ins for dead area at the thrift stores. A lot of time the one thing I want comes in a bag with other Halloween stuff. Usually cutesy stuff. I throw that in a box that I had for a couple years. Stuff just kept piling up. A couple of years ago I noticed some houses in the neighborhood had a few things out. I missed having something out in my yard so I grabbed the cutesy box.I figured if those things got stolen, no big deal, I hadn't wanted them anyway. I put up some ot the things around the yard and hanging from the trees. As I sat on the front porch and looked around, I thought it looked like someone had thrown up cute all over my yard. A small bus taking daycare kids home, stopped in front of my house and all the little kids were pressed up against the windows. The bus driver opened the door and yelled, Thank you, and all the little kids did too. Next a school bus drove by and the kids were waving. Damn, I thought, I probably have another cutesy box if I look hard enough. So since then I've put the cute stuff out the first of Oct. I figure if it's vandalized, no big deal. But it never has been yet. I take it down about two days before Halloween and do the put up and take down of the scary stuff, the good stuff, the day of. The kids seem to like it. And I'm a sucker for the kids.


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

We start October 1 with fence and tombstones, then in following days we set up lights which include scene lighting and the lightning machine.

Then on the 31st we start at 6am setting up everything else and usually finish about 3pm. then we tear down everything the same night. Its a pain in the butt and tiring but all the comments we get make it worth it.

We have never had an issue with theft or vandals but then again we don't put anything out really till the 31st. that said we do have a 4k UHD security system that monitors the house and we can pretty much see the pimples on your butt at 50' so, yeah, your going to get noticed, and were in Texas so your going to get an ass whoppin before the popo shows up.


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## 69-cat (Jan 18, 2014)

My setup is in the backyard with a 6 foot fence so no one can see (unless they peak through the cracks) doing the setup but I keep to props covered with black plastic. However, I did have one kid that was trying to get into my year last year before Halloween, I just had to say NO you will have to wait. It was that or give him a shot of pepper spray, just kidding.... I start with my larger props late Sept. and work my way to the path lights last. One night only and clean up the next day(s). My air supplies and electric is attached to the fence so what ever I need is only 10 feet away, cuts down on the cords. Conduit under the sidewalks for ease of control wires. Even after 18 years, I still find something to help save time on the setup that I do during the next summer.
Dave


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## Hauntofthelakes (Sep 21, 2019)

I set stuff starting first week of October. I have not had any issues with vandalism or theft. I’ve left my handmade headstones out past Xmas to do a haunted Xmas and they were fine. No monster mud or dry lock on them. I wouldn’t put any animatronics out though.


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