Ways You Might Be Inviting Thieves and Burglars to Your Homes

“One of man’s basic concerns is a house–a place to find protection from the rain and elements. But a house can be much more than a building. It is the social context of his family life–the place where he loves and shares with this closest to him” -Pedro Arrupe

Home safety is a paramount concern of many homeowners.

After all, we regard our homes as our safest haven insomuch that any breach to it would be taken as a breach into our domestic life as well as an affront not only to the home’s integrity but to our sensibilities and domestic life as well. Indeed, our homes are places where we feel the safest and where can be ourselves—a place we consider as our dominion if you may. For this reason, we should be a little meticulous as to how we protect it and shield it from outside forces. More importantly, it shelters our families who we wish to safeguard from anything untoward so much more than our belongings. With all these in mind, we as ever-vigilant homeowners would do whatever we can to secure our homes to mitigate the likelihood of unwanted personalities from ever breaking in.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts in fortifying our homes, there is still a possibility for our homes to get robbed. Why? Where have we fallen short? And what have we done wrong? Well, despite taking every precaution, you, as an unwitting homeowner, might have inadvertently attracted a burglar to your property insomuch that you might as well have invited them. You can possess the most expensive anti-theft technology in the world but if your home continues to attract burglars and thieves, then your investment on anti-burglar would be all for naught. With this in mind make sure you eliminate all of the factors and aspects that might cause a burglar to potentially target and case your home. Regardless of whether you live in Avida Settings Alviera or anywhere else, being extra cautious about the things that might potentially attract unwanted personalities into your home would benefit you a lot.

Here are some of the ways you might be unwittingly inviting burglars into your homes:

 Dark homes

Burglars have a natural affinity for dark homes as it conceals their nefarious acts better than well-lit homes. In this regard, well-illuminated homes are better protected as it deters them. With this in mind, leave your porch lights on to discourage any prospective thieves from entering your homes or even approaching points of entry. Strengthen the security even further by installing motion-detector lights around your property’s perimeter that would light up should it detect any movement. These installments will further dissuade anyone from searching for an open window or any entryway.

 

 Unlocked Windows and Open Drapes 

Apart from seemingly unoccupied homes, properties that have unlocked windows and open drapes tend to be very inviting to burglars and thieves. Unlocked windows with open drapes tend to leave your homes vulnerable as these serve as easy entry points. Upon leaving the house and before heading to bed, check all windows to make sure that they are closed and locked–even the ones located at the higher floors (it might rain leading to water getting inside your property). Close the drapes so that any items that might catch the attention of intruders and thieves would be concealed.

 

 Empty Driveways

Empty driveways leave the impression that no one in at home. More importantly, if you have mail piling up by your front door, you might as well regard that as an open invitation for robbers to break into your homes. If you intend to take an extended leave or go on holiday, ask anyone who you might trust–a family member, relative, neighbor or even a friend to check your homes from time to time. Even better, you can ask them to park one of their cars in your driveway should you go on vacation to deter anyone who might wish to break in.

 

Oversharing on Social Media

Sure, you can be excited about your prospective holiday and vacation but you need to be a little cautious about what you post on social media platforms. Not to rain on your parade but you need to curb your enthusiasm of posting every little detail of your trip. Indicating the date of your departure as well as your travel plans on any social media platform would give anyone potentially trying to rob you an idea of when the right time would be. This is especially true if you have set your social media settings ti public where anyone can see them. While no one is asking you not to be excited about your trip, you might want to adjust your social media privacy settings insomuch that only your close friends would know about your trip. In any case, try to scale down what you post online to mitigate the chances of getting your homes targeted.

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Fresh Start: Four Things that Help You Get Settled in a New Neighborhood

“Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed and rearranged to relocate us to the place we are meant to be” –Author Unknown

Moving can mark the beginning of a blissful new life and can open a myriad of opportunities for you.

Anything can prompt a move—from a major and significant life event to a job promotion. However, regardless of what your reasons might be, leaving a hometown and neighborhood you have grown accustomed to will always be bittersweet. It does not matter whether you are just moving across town or to an entirely new city, the prospect of moving will always be just more than a little daunting. After all, if you have grown used to a particular town or community, uprooting yourself from the neighborhood entirely can feel a lot like starting over. For some, this can be intimidating as it might seem like an opportunity for better beginnings but the idea of moving is not always a welcome on to all. However, whether you are looking forward to the move or not all, it is imperative to find your own sense of place within the new community. Unfortunately, this is not always straightforward. More importantly, meeting people in your neighborhood can just be a tad bit intimidating. However, if you wish to make your new neighborhood feel like home and have a good sense of what the community is like, this is the most obvious route to take. So, whether you are moving into a new condominium in Pasig or elsewhere, here are things you should keep in mind:

 

Make the first move

As daunting as it might seem, making the first move can open a lot of doors for you. More importantly, it gives your neighbors the impression that you are friendly and likely someone they can develop a friendship with. Approach your next-door neighbor and introduce yourself. Sometimes, they might give you hesitant and furtive looks because they are afraid of disturbing you and your family when you have just moved in and look busy with unpacking the boxes. In this case, it is best to make the initial move. Tell them you are new to the neighborhood and introduce yourself. Similarly, you can take the opportunity when the neighbors do not look rushed or preoccupied. Your simple hello, wave and even smile can already work wonders. However, know where to draw the line between being friendly and intrusive. There is a big difference between asking about their day and fishing for neighborhood gossip. Start with neutral topics such as asking for restaurant recommendations or trash pickup schedules.

 

Make yourself approachable

While taking the initiative to introduce yourself to your neighbors is a great start, it is equally important to make it easy for your neighbors to approach you. Create chances for others to welcome you by generally having a friendly demeanor. Sit on the front porch or take leisurely walks. You can even make it a point to be approachable by taking your leisurely time to get to your car every morning to create opportunities for your next door neighbor to say hello to you. More importantly, smile and tone down your grumpy expression—especially upon returning home from work as this will make your neighbors wary in approaching you. Whenever you are out an about in the community, do not keep your face glued to your phone. Regard your surroundings, smile at any neighbor that might passing by and make friendly eye contact.

 

Get involved

One excellent way to easily and immediately acclimatize to a new community is to get involved in community activities. After all, there is no better way to meet like-minded people than to participate in activities that you are passionate about. Just do the right research and be on the lookout for any community activities you might be interested in joining in. Be assertive in your search and check the local schools or town halls for any neighborhood activities there might be. Or you might want to take your search online and join your community’s social media group page or at least follow it. You can likely expect a series of activity announcements on their pages. Better yet, you can ask recommendations and references from the best sources: your fellow neighbors. Community activities can be a range of things from cleaning up the trash to helping other residents—all of which are endeavors that would not only improve your neighborhood but help you get to know your neighbors as well.

 

Check out the local hangouts

There are places in your neighborhood where your fellow neighbors would naturally gravitate to. Some of which are playgrounds and community town halls to start with. Know what these places are and try to frequent them as well. Introduce yourself and you might find that these local hangouts might just become a place where you can meet people who recognize you and know you by name.

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