Living alone gives you a range of benefits, including having the freedom to make your own rules, come and go as you please, no waiting time to use the bathroom, complete control of the TV remote control, and so on. But living alone in Pakistan can be challenging from a security perspective, especially for women. Here’s how you can secure your home while living alone in Pakistan.
How to Secure Your Home While Living Alone?
Some of the top safety tips for living alone include:
- Change the Locks
- Know Your Neighbours
- Never Open the Door to Strangers
- Use Social Media Wisely
- Have Your Key at Hand
- Use an Alarm
- Recheck Your Windows and Doors
- Light Up the House
- Have a Backup Plan
Let’s discuss each of these personal safety tips in detail now.
Change the Locks
This safety measure is especially important for individuals who are moving to a new flat or house and plan to live alone. While most landlords and homeowners will change the locks for each tenant/buyer, do not take their word for it. Caution is the name of the game here. Exercise discretion and change the locks immediately after you move in.
Create a spare key, so that you have one in case you ever get locked out but keep it safe. Ideally, ask a friend whom you trust to keep it at their place, so you can get it from them if you ever forget to carry yours. You can also consider adding a door chain, an extra bolt lock, or a peephole at the entrance, especially if you own the house.
Never forget to lock the house when you leave, but also, always lock it behind you when you come home. Do not give intruders easy entry into your safe space.
Know Your Neighbours
Homeowners might have trouble getting to know their neighbours, especially if you live in an area where everyone is busy with their own lives, and there’s a lack of communal friendliness. However, if you want to stay safe when living alone in an apartment, it can be easier to figure out who is living next doors and to determine whether they are trustworthy enough to be told that you live alone and for them to keep an eye on your place in your absence.
However, neighbours can also be quite nosy and/or a potential risk to your safety if you choose to become friendly with the wrong sort of people, so be cautious in this approach.
Never Open the Door to Strangers
One way to ensure home security while living alone is to install a peephole or a door chain if you can and to avoid opening the door to strangers, especially after dark. Even if you want to call a technician over for repairs, ask a friend to come and stay at your place for the duration of the repairs and give no indication to the worker that you live alone.
People who live alone are considered easy targets for intruders, and no matter how trustworthy or professional the repairman might seem, trust no one with the information that you are alone in this apartment or house most of the time.
Use Social Media Wisely
One security precaution to take when you’re living alone in Pakistan is to avoid checking in and giving people access to your current location at all times. This is the perfect opportunity for people with bad intent to enter and rob you of your possessions in your absence. Ensure that your social media updates and check-ins are only viewed by the people you trust or restrict privacy for your check-ins.
Have Your Key at Hand
Another tip to secure your home while living alone is to always be aware of your surroundings as you head home. Whether you’re living alone for your studies, for your career, or simply because you prefer the freedom and independence it offers, be vigilant of your surroundings so that you don’t become a target of opportunists who might follow you home.
Be wary of anyone whom you think is following you home, change your route home every few days if possible, and always keep your key hidden in your fist as you near the house/flat so that you can open the door as soon as you reach it.
Use an Alarm
A number of smart gadgets have been introduced for homes in Pakistan, including smart alarms that can be live savers for people living alone. Smart alarms allow you to activate them remotely from your mobile or tablet, can be activated even when you’re inside the house, and they often come with CCTV surveillance functionality, which helps you monitor your property, even when you’re not in town for a few days.
Recheck Your Windows and Doors
If you fear for your safety and want to ensure home security while living alone, you not only need to worry about the main door but also all the other entry points into your home. One of the top safety tips for living alone is to check all the windows and their locks, as well as the locks on the doors of your balcony or terrace. Make sure you are locking all the entry points at night or when you leave the house and keep them locked even while you are at home so that you can ensure better personal safety indoors.
Light Up the House
If you’re home alone temporarily or if you think someone might be watching the house and trying to get in, creating a lot of noise, inviting friends over, or even simply lighting up the place as if several people are home, can work for you, depending on your situation. There are a range of indoor lighting fixtures that you can use for Pakistani homes, but make sure you light up the outdoor space as well, especially if you are a homeowner.
Have a Backup Plan
Always have an exit strategy or backup plan in place if you think someone is trying to get into the house or if you feel scared. Call the authorities, or call a trusted friend or family member over to your place. Living alone might seem scary, but if you take the right precautions, it can be a rewarding experience, offering lots of learning opportunities.
Secure your home while living alone with these tips. Stay vigilant, and make sure you keep friends and family updated on your whereabouts. Keep reading more posts on Zameen Blog for all your home décor, lifestyle, and tourism queries. You can also forward us your suggestions at blog@zameen.com.
