The freedom, excitement, and peace of mind that come with getting your own place are unmatched. But after all the fun, one serious thing you must put into consideration as a homeowner, especially if you live alone, is how to go about protecting your home. Even if you do not live alone, simply being home alone when everyone else is out of the house can render you exceedingly vulnerable to home security threats.
It may surprise some to know that gatherings from surveys and statistics show that most home burglaries are done in broad daylight. Hence, taking measures to stay safe at whatever time you are home alone should be a topmost priority to protect yourself and your home.
So in this article, we’ll be taking a look at 10 key safety tips and ideas to effectively manage your security when you live alone or spend any amount of time at home alone.
How to Stay Safe when Home Alone for Adults.
1. Invest in a home security system.
The best way to protect yourself when you are home alone is a home security system. The mere knowledge that you have made that investment will already have you feeling safer. The most effective home security systems will come fitted with a broad range of high-tech equipment.
From alarms to motion sensors, glass break detection, security cameras, and home automation, these are some of the technology you will find in a good home security system. You can choose to invest in the whole suite. Or you can customize your security system to suit your lifestyle, your budget, and particularly, your home.
2. Making locking up a habit.
This might be a no-brainer to some. But you’d be surprised to find out that many people forget to lock even their front doors when home alone. Even if you have the guarantee of a safe neighbourhood, it is always a good idea to lock your front door as well as any other entrances when home alone. This should be an all-day habit. So yes, lock the door even during the day.
3. Don’t post about large purchases on social media.
We live in an age of social media, so it’s understandable. Coupled with the excitement of sharing bits of your life with the whole world online, this is one area where many people easily get in trouble. Making any public display of items someone may want to steal is a bad idea on any day.
The most commonly stolen items that fall under this category are electronics, guns, and jewellery. So avoid making posts about purchases of these kinds of valuables. This will prevent you from putting your home and possessions at risk.
4. Invest in a video doorbell and security cameras.
Video doorbells offer the convenience and safety of seeing who or what is at your front door without opening it. You can also safely speak with any strangers at your door without having to open the door. With a video doorbell, you can securely communicate with anyone on the other side of your door. You do this using your phone while viewing them via live video.
5. Get a personal safety alarm.
The idea here is to bring your security measures even closer to your person. From pendant alarms to alarms programmed into phone apps, there is a bevvy of options available today. These types of personal safety alarms will enable you to feel safe wherever you are, whether in or out of your home. One press of a button and a distress message will be sent out whenever you need help.
A personal safety alarm is an especially good idea for people with certain medical conditions or mobility issues when they are home alone.
6. Get acquainted with your neighbours.
Make contact, start to know your neighbours and make an effort to be friendly with them. They may just end up being your saving grace in times of trouble. Plus, they would be more likely to help you if you are a friendly neighbour to them than if you stayed a stranger.
7. Always have backup.
If you live alone or are home alone, set up regular check-ins with friends and family. This is so that, say, you don’t pick up the phone, someone will notice that there may be something wrong. Also, if you are having a stranger over, such as a repairman or other contractors, invite a friend over for extra security.
8. Install motion sensor outdoor lights.
This will spook any intruders by putting a bright spotlight on them triggered by motion sensors. Motion sensor outdoor lights will also provide proper illumination and extra safety when you are walking around your own property. When installing the lights, target all entry points, dark corners, and any areas that a burglar may attempt breaking in through.
9. Secure the garage.
It is more likely than not that even you overlook your garage when it comes to your home security. However, you should know that the garage is one entry point that many intruders go for because they are aware of this. So you have to keep this in mind and up the secure state of your garage. For instance, you can switch an automatic garage opener to a manual setting when you are home alone for some added safety.
10. Create an emergency exit plan.
This will also come in handy, say, in the event of something like a fire. Create an exit strategy for worst-case scenarios. Know where you can escape through and what safe location you can head to during an emergency. Also, ensure that your home has a working fire alarm. Having a good escape or exit plan will enable you to stay calm even in danger and make handling scary situations alone that much easier.
