Living alone has its benefits, the biggest one being that you have your own space and freedom to do what you want. It also comes with concerns related to your security and safety and that of your house. You may be wondering how to stay safe when living alone compared to living with a roommate.
Are you looking for safety tips for living alone in an apartment or a stand-alone house? Continue reading this article to learn the dos and don’ts of living alone.
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Switch on lights when you’re not at home
You might not realize it but the people in your surrounding notice your pattern: the time you leave home, when you return, why they don’t see you often and so much more. People can tell when a house has been empty for a number of days if they have been watching you and taking note of your routine.
One way of ensuring that you are safe in your house ff you decide to travel for long periods or if you have just moved to your first house is to leave the lights on. This will scare away an intruder because it will seem like someone is home.
Do full surveillance of your house
Put yourself in an intruder’s mind. How would you gain access to your house if you lost your keys? Are there any loopholes or an easy way to access your house? If you live in a stand-alone house, start by walking around to look for places someone could hide. How thick are your curtains? Can you see your TV from outside?
Don’t show off your space online
The more information you provide to your friends both online and offline, the more you are attracting intruders to your home. When you share details about your home with other people, this information can end up in the wrong hands leaving you vulnerable to a break-in.
In as much as you feel proud about your house and you want to show it off to people, try your best to avoid posting your location and pictures of your house online or sharing with friends.
Remember to draw your curtains at night
Some people don’t draw their curtains when it gets dark. It sounds bizarre but some people would rather leave them open the entire night. Why would you want to look outside and not be able to see what is happening? And why would you allow someone outside to see what is going on in your house? Don’t give thieves a reason to steal from you.
Close your windows and doors
An easy way to gain access to a house is through the windows. If you don’t shut them properly, you could be setting yourself up for a disaster. If you live in an apartment where people can peep through your windows to see what is inside, leave your windows closed while you are away.
As for the doors, if you’re indoors and you’re unaware of your surrounding, say you are listening to music or in the shower, make sure you close the doors. No matter how trusting you are of your neighbourhood, it takes a small decision like not locking your door to cause a huge problem.
Change your locks and keys
In case you are moving to a new place, ask the landlord if you can change the locks beforehand. You don’t want the previous tenant to have access to your house, regardless of whether they returned the keys or not. You also don’t know who else has copies of keys to your place.
If you have already moved, ask the landlord or caretaker if you can change the locks and whether it will affect your security deposit. If you are using a padlock, avoid using the same one that the previous tenant was using. If you can, buy a different brand from the previous one so that people don’t try to duplicate keys.
Talk to your neighbours
Your neighbours are the closest people to you. You should try your best to get to know them. It doesn’t have to be meeting each other for dinner every night or even giving them your spare key. It is simply knowing each other so that in case of an emergency, there is someone who can assist you. Knowing your neighbours makes you alert of the new faces in your neighbourhood.
Conclusion
Following these safety precautions when living alone will make you feel more safe and secure in your own home. Always trust your gut feelings. If you hear a strange noise in your house, investigate where it is coming from. Don’t assume you know what the noise is. If you are too scared, call a neighbour to come over to your place.
