Living alone requires taking certain precautions that would not be necessary when living with others. While you don’t have to share the remote or worry about accidentally waking up a family member or roommate in the morning, you are also the only one responsible for guaranteeing your safety, adding a layer of accountability to the freedom the living alone brings. Here are six personal safety and home security tips when living alone.
1. Get a security system
Security systems, if you live alone, can be a great asset. Not only do you have peace of mind knowing that you and the proper authorities will be alerted in the case of a security breach, or other home catastrophe, you also know that someone will come to your aid if you are in your home when a break-in occurs.
Today’s wireless home security systems provide the added benefits of being able to track your system from your mobile phone or laptop at any time, allowing to check in on your belonging even when you’re away from home. This also gives you the ability to alert the authorities if you notice anything out of the ordinary, or to track the motion sensors in your living room from your bedroom in case you hear something unusual at night.
Home security systems for single people are a great asset to invest in for not only protecting your belongings but also ensuring that you stay safe when no one else is around.
2. Consider getting a four-legged companion
Even you if invest in a home security system, a dog or other loud pet can be a great comfort if you live alone. Intruders are immediately put off by loud barking when they enter a home, proving that dogs can be a great deterrent to home break-ins. Plus, having a companion around never fails to cheer you up at the end of a long day at work. Dogs can also increase your safety outside of the home, ensuring that you have a protector when you’re out for a walk or visiting the park late at night. Of course, larger dogs who are trained to warn against suspicious people are the most effective when it comes to home security, though smaller well-trained breeds can also frighten an intruder by alerting you to unusual activity.
3. Get to know your neighbors
When you don’t have anyone within your home to back you up in case of an emergency, your neighbors are the next the best thing. They’re the ones who are most likely to notice anything out of the ordinary, witness an odd character lurking outside your home, or hear a scream or barking coming from within your home. Therefore, make sure they have your contact information and know that they have your permission to call the police if anything seems suspicious. It might even be a good idea to give your most trusted neighbors a key to your home so they can check in while you’re away.
4. Fake a full home
Intruders are less likely to break into a home if there’s more than one person living there; more people means a higher chance that someone will be home when they’re trying to break in. Therefore, making it seem like you live with other people by leaving the light on when you’re not home, adding another name to your mailbox, or inviting friends and family over on a regular basis can create the illusion that multiple people live in your home.
Home security systems for single people can also help in creating this illusion, as many wireless security systems today allow you to integrate your system with your home’s electrical functions, including your television, lighting and temperature controls. That means that you can turn on the TV or lights from your mobile phone while you’re out of town, giving the impression that someone’s home, which has shown to help deter theft. That way, if a burglar is monitoring your home for a potential break in, they’ll notice that too much activity surrounds it, making it risky site for a break in.
5. Install motion-activated outdoor lights
Even though wireless home security systems allow you to control your lights from your smartphone, it’s a good idea to also install motion-activated outdoor lights, especially outside your front porch. If an intruder is lurking around outside and all of a sudden is covered in light, he/she is much more likely to run away instead of risk being seen.
6. Be cautiously selective about who you let into your home
While it may be convenient to have a key under your doormat for those times you forget your keys at home, it’s not a good idea to consistently leave keys outside your door if you live alone. Under plants, in mailboxes, and under mats are the first places intruders will look when attempting to break into your home, and you don’t want to make it easy for them.
In addition, do not leave extra keys for contractors or other people who you are not absolutely positive you can trust. Contractors can easily copy a key and distribute it to someone else without your knowledge. If you know that a maintenance worker or contractor is coming to your home, either meet them yourself or have a trusted neighbor or friend let them in. Even better, have a friend meet you and the contractor at your home so that it doesn’t look like you live alone.
While there are some precautions that should be taken when living alone, do not let fear be a deterrent to your independence. Invest in a home security system, be smart about the impression you give potential intruders, and allow yourself the peace of mind that follows.
