Anybody who has ever slept alone in a creaky old house and woke up in the middle of the night only to hear a suspicious noise knows the terror it can cause. If there is another adult in the house, you don’t feel so worried because there is safety in numbers. When I became a single parent with a young child to take care of, I became anxious throughout the night and found it difficult to sleep. I am the only defense if somebody gets into the house. I know the chances are extremely slim that it would happen, but the fear was there nonetheless. I needed to secure the house for my peace of mind. It turns out that it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.
I have been there and done that, so I feel able to advise you on ways to keep yourself and your family safe. Here is how a single parent can feel more secure at home.
Windows And Doors
I asked Eyden Locksmiths for advice concerning my windows and doors. It turns out that the Yale lock on my front door isn’t as secure as a mortice deadlock. I had to ask my dad to fit one for me, but it isn’t as difficult as you might think. Armed with a drill, hammer and sharp chisel, it took about an hour to install. The back door now features one too. In addition to the mortice locks, I fitted sturdy bolts to the top and bottom of both doors. The only way through them now is with a battering ram or a grenade.
There was no facility to lock the handles on any of the opening windows in the house. I swapped them for new ones in only two hours. They are fixed to the windows with two screws each, and because they are a standard size, the new fittings used the same fixing holes. I can now secure all of the windows, and nobody can get in without making a racket.
Alarm
I had heard about wireless alarm systems before but didn’t think I would be able to install one myself. How wrong I was. Everything runs on batteries, so there is no cable to install. If you know how to screw things to the wall, you will have no problem fitting a system in your home. I now have a detector in every downstairs room and a panic button by the front door and in my bedroom. It has been in operation for three months so far, and I haven’t had to change a single battery.
Security Lights
I paid an electrician to install a powerful security light that operates from a detector, on the back of the house. The model I chose came with a chime that I can plug into any socket. When the light comes on, the chime sounds and alerts me. As you can imagine, it was waking me up every time a cat walked by, so I have consigned that to the rubbish bin. The light is fantastic, and I can’t see an intruder wanting to hang around when it is on.
I am satisfied that the house is secure, and it helps me to sleep soundly. Nobody could gain access silently. They would then set the alarm off, and my neighbours would be round like a shot. If you are feeling vulnerable, adopt some or all of these measures in your home. You will not regret it.