Single female homeowners are increasingly common as befits a society that promotes equality and the right for people to choose their own path in life. In fact research suggests that women are more likely to buy a home by themselves than me. Living by yourself can be a blessing; After all, you are free to come and go as you please and choose your own décor. But, there are downsides and one of these is the additional safety risk that a solo female homeowner may face.
Fortunately there are steps you can take to make your home safer and more secure:
Get The Right Locks
A professional thief will be able to get past most door locks. However, unless they have a specific reason to steal from you they will generally go for the less protected home. Get yourself some high quality locks and a deadbolt. These will help.
You should also make sure that your front door has a peephole so that you can see who is there before you open it. A chain which limits the movement of the door is also a good idea.
Security System
If you click here you’ll see an array of options regarding CCTV and alarm systems for your home. The best ones are those that have a direct link to a monitoring station. You can also get some that allow you to push a panic button and alert the monitoring station of an ongoing issue.
If you select the right system you can even hook it into your smart home system. This could allow you to access your home before you walk in; using the integrated camera’s to verify the house is empty!
Test Your Alarms
You should also invest in a smoke alarm and one that detects carbon monoxide (if you have any form of combustible heating). These devices need to be tested on a regular basis to ensure they are working properly.
You should be aware that a cheap carbon monoxide detector will tell you when there is a high presence of the gas. The more expensive detectors will also tell you when there are low levels which could affect your health.
Know Your Neighbors
It is worth knowing who lives next to you and nearby. Not only will you know when someone strange is in the area but you’ll also have the comfort of knowing that your neighbors are keeping an eye out for you.
A neighborhood watch scheme can be a great idea to help back this up. It is usually an effective deterrent as a thief will not know if they are being watched or not.
Landscaping
Don’t make it easier for thieves and attackers. Take a look at your yard and get rid of anything that would be easy for an attacker to hide in or behind. You should also consider adding some sensor light to your house; this will help you to know if there is someone outside. It can also be another deterrent.
And there you go, some ideas for solo female homeowner to protect themselves.