Living Alone, Safely and Securely

7 ways for singles to stay safe in their homes

In the last decade, six million more Americans have chosen to live alone with almost 36 million people living by themselves in 2016. Over 10 percent of our population live in single-person households.

There are many advantages to living alone. You can eat what you want, when you want. You can clean on your own schedule. You never have to fight over the TV remote. Yet, as more and more people live in single-person households, one of the things that is lacking is someone to watch your back when it comes to personal and home security.

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Minimizing the risk should be on everyone’s mind and here is a list of easy things to do to make your home safer:

1. Install security cameras

Whether part of your home security system or as a separate security measure, having cameras on the doors of your home or apartment give you an advantage against bad people. If you have a remote system, you can monitor, in real time, the people who come to your door whether you are home or away. Being able to see and identify visitors can be advantageous whether they have malicious intent or not.

2. Meet and befriend your neighbors

Friends and neighbors can be of great help when watching your neighborhood and identifying people who don’t belong there. Our modern society doesn’t put enough emphasis on community as was common even a couple of decades ago, but it is worth the effort to add an additional layer of security. You might find out that you like your neighbors and make new friends, as well.

3. Get a dog

Dogs, even ones not trained to be watch dogs, are great for protecting your home and personal property. Burglars try to minimize risk of exposure and a barking dog will draw attention, especially if they are not usually loud.

4. Protect your garage

Garage doors, especially electronically opening ones, are a weak point in your home’s security. Criminals have been hacking garage door openers for years and even though the devices are getting more sophisticated, the hackers are keeping up. Newer garage door openers will notify you if your garage door opens and allow you to close it remotely. For trips out of town or when you are gone for a few days, get a manual lock and disable your electronic opener.

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5. Landscape smart

A beautiful yard is a reward in itself, but by minimizing hiding places and keeping trees and shrubs trimmed makes it more difficult to approach your home stealthily. Consider using plants with thorns near windows and doors to make it more difficult for burglars to use them.

6. Install motion sensor lights

In addition to showing off your landscaping skills at night, motion sensor lights will illuminate nefarious activities to anyone who can see. Well-lit areas can discourage burglars and attackers who will likely move on to darker targets.

7. Get a home security system

A monitored home security system can discourage burglars, monitor your home for fires and carbon monoxide leaks, and give you instant access to the police, ambulance and fire department in case of an emergency. There are hundreds of different local and nationwide companies that offer security services for every budget. Homesecuritysystem.co has a handy comparison shopping guide that will let you know, at a glance, what companies offer what services and the costs.

No matter what choices you make, living alone can be a dangerous yet rewarding option. Freedom of choice is the primary one, but it leaves the responsibility for your personal and home safety squarely on your shoulders. Making sure you stay safe and secure is completely up to you.