Safety tips for living by yourself

Living alone is liberating! You’ll always know that the only dishes in the sink are yours, everything is exactly top your taste and the fridge is full of your favourite foods only… But, sometimes it can be a bit stressful, especially when you think of how dangerous it can be. Well, it doesn’t have to be any more dangerous than any other types of living situations! With a few simple precautions, you can make sure that you are always safe.

Get a Pet – Dogs are proven to deter burglars from targeting your home, but the advantage of having either a dog or a cat also means that you will feel more comfortable in your house. How comfortable you are in your home generally can determine your panic levels and how you respond when you have to make quick, emergency decision.

Remember to Lock Up – this applies all the time, not just when you are out or a sleep. Some break-ins even occur as “walk-ins” because a lot of people are so relaxed about locking their doors. This is also an advantage of living alone, because you can stick the chain in without having to worry about anyone else having to get into the house. You should also get into the habit of using the peephole.

Fix Maintenance Issues right away – The thing about living alone is that no one else isn't going to take care of this for you, so get yourself a good toolbox for small fixes and ask the landlord or call in a professional for major ones. Some maintenance issues, like a broken or stuck window, can make a burglary easy.

Close the Curtains – Closing the blinds or curtains means that potential burglars can’t see your stuff, but it also means that they can’t see that you’re alone – which can be a factor when they choose targets. Closing the curtains also gives you more privacy so the entire street can’t see what you’re doing.

Turn off Location Services – When you’re living alone you might be on social media a lot, whether you’re Facebooking constantly or instagramming your delicious dinner you just made. But also remember that when you do, just make sure that you’re not broadcasting your location to the world! This is especially important if you can in fact see that you are alone from your social media posts.

Know your Neighbours – No, you don’t have to be the best of friends, but knowing your neighbours is one of the best and easiest security systems in the world. If your neighbours know you live alone, they will be likely to alert the authorities if they see anything suspicious around your home.

Keep Your Cellphone Charged – It may be easy for a burglar to cut a phone line, but majority of us have a cellphone anyway. Make sure to always keep your cellphone charged so that if there is an emergency you can always make a phone call – after all, you live alone so it’s all up to you.

Get a Home Security System – Getting a monitored home security system means you can be alone without being alone, alone! It’s just like having a roommate that doesn't eat food and take up space, but they will always be there for you. Make sure you contact SIS – Security & Investigation Services for all your home security needs.

Why door alarms are a practical decision for home security

Door alarms are an inexpensive option for home security, but they only take the security system so far. While they are definitely a great first step, you may want to think about getting alarm monitoring to go with your door alarms you have in your home.

Benefits

Door alarm systems are great because they alert you if an intruder is trying to break into your home while you are in it. They usually sound at 110 – 120 decibels, which is loud enough for you to hear throughout your home. When the alarm goes off you can react quickly and phone the police, and it also scares the intruder into leaving because he knows you are home. If you are away from home, the alarm may be just loud enough for your neighbour to hear, and then they may be able to call the police for you. Keep in mind that most break-ins actually happen during the day, so this is very important.

Types

There are a few different types of door alarms. Some are wireless and portable and do not have to be permanently mounted anywhere. These door alarms can simply be hung on the doorknob and are activated when someone turns it, because they are portable you can take them with when you travel. The door stop alarm is a wireless door alarm that looks very similar to an actual door stop, but it sounds an alarm when pressure is put on the door as it is opening. It is wedge shaped, so you can put the narrow part under the door. Other door alarm systems have a keypad panel, which is usually mounted close to the monitored door; the code number will activate and deactivate the alarm.

Are Door Alarm Systems Enough?

Though door alarms are a key part of a full security system, they are not always enough just on their own. Yes, these alarms alert you when an intruder is breaking in, and alert the intruder that there is some kind of security system, but no one else is really alerted by the alarm. Your neighbours may not even hear it and even if they do, that doesn't mean they’re going to react. In conjunction with door alarms, alarm monitoring services round out the home security package. If you have alarm monitoring, as soon as the door alarm goes off, either the police, a security company or both will be alerted of the problem. This means that the police will arrive at your home quickly to access the situation, without monitoring, no one else would be alerted to the break-in and so no help would arrive!

If you are considering setting up door alarms or already have them in place, you should consider installing an alarm monitoring service with SIS – Security & InvestigationServices as well. You can talk to a security expert to help you make the decision for your home security plan and help keep you, your family and your possessions safe.