How to Ensure Personal Safety When Living Alone
Moving out for the first time can be scary and exciting at the same time. While one may be thrilled by the freedom of being on their own, they may also be have safety and security concerns about their new space. Highlighted below are some safety tips for living alone in an apartment or your new home.
Jael Keya, Editor in Chief
Switch on the lights when not at home
It may not be obvious for you but people who are watching notice patterns of an individual. They can tell when a house has been empty for days. To ensure that you are safe, leave your lights on if you decide to travel, this way any intruder will scare way as it may seem like someone is home.
Don’t share your space online
The more open you are on social media, the more likely you are to attract intruders as they will know how your home looks like. If you opt to share this information with others, leave out your location and try as much as possible to share spaces that are generic.
Do a full surveillance of your house
It is highly advisable to put yourself in an intruder’s mind. Ask yourself the most relevant questions. 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? How thick are your curtains?
Close your windows and doors
Most intruders gain access to a house through the windows. Ensure you always leave the windows shut when you are away. When you are indoors and unaware of your surrounding, for example when you are listening to music or in the shower, make sure you close the doors. No matter how trusting you are of your neighbourhood.
Draw your curtains at night
As bizarre as it may seem, some people don’t close their curtains even when it is dark. There is no point of having your curtains open at night especially because there is basically nothing you are seeing and you may just be giving intruders a leeway to get into your house.
Know your neighbours and create a rapport with them
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.
Change your locks and keys
Inquire from your landlord if you can change the locks before moving into the new house. You don’t want the previous tenant to have access to your house, regardless sod whether they returned the keys or not. If you have already moved in, ask the landlord if you can change the locks and whether that will affect your deposit.
Ultimately, always following your gut feeling when taking precaution in your house safety. Don’t assume you know what the noise is if you are not sure.
