Perhaps your spouse or partner travels a lot, which means you sometimes feel more exposed to dangerous risks than you would by yourself. If you are at home alone a lot, your safety might be at the forefront of your mind. What can you do to protect yourself at times when you are by yourself in the property?

Home safety is often very easy. A simple awareness of your surroundings is a great way to start. If you ever feel insecure, then don’t hesitate to seek assistance or take further steps to protect yourself. Keep just a few essential tips in mind when you are home alone.

Tip 1: Locks are Your Best Friends

Yes, your door locks might not seem like the best deterrent of thieves or other intruders. However, they are a lot more helpful than just leaving your doors unlocked and hoping someone never wanders in uninvited. Therefore, you should keep all your doors locked whenever you are at home. This means you should not only keep your front door locked, but also storm doors, cellar or basement doors, garage doors and windows.

Make sure all doors have a deadbolt lock, not just a lock attacked to the door knob itself. Essentially, the more locks you have, the harder it will be for someone to gain entry. Many deadbolt locks can only be locked from the inside of the home, which means no one can pick at it from the outside. Therefore, you’ll have a lock on the inside that only you can access.

Tip 2: Your Keys Are Yours Only

Be careful to never give your household keys to a party that you do not trust. Family, friends or trustworthy neighbors should be the only people who have access to your keys. If you keep a key outside the home, then only you should know where it is.

Tip 3: Lights Are Helpful Both At Home and Away

You can make creative uses of your household lighting to make it seem like someone is home, even when no one is around.

When you are at home, always keep a light on both inside and outside the home. Only turn off your last lights when you retire for the night. Furthermore, see if you can install a motion-activated light on the property. Therefore, if someone walks up to your front door, the light can turn on, alerting you that someone is on the property.

Tip 4: Get a Home Security Camera

Today, it is easier than ever to set up a home security system. There are numerous home camera and alarm systems that you can setup or access from your computer, smartphone or tablet. You can therefore take a look inside your home, even when you aren’t there. If someone enters your home, either while you are absent or at home, you can receive an alert. Many of these systems are motion-activated, and you can know immediately if someone walks onto your property. For example, doorbell cameras are very common these days, and they can help you know who rings your doorbell before you open the door.

One benefit to getting a smart home system is that it might help you qualify for lower homeowners insurance rates. Many insurers offer price reductions if you invest in certain smart home systems, because they view these systems as making the home less risky to insure because it is more secure.

Be Careful When Getting Weapons or Pets

Sometimes, you might think that it is a good idea to invest in a guard dog, or to get a firearm or taser. Pets and weapons might prove beneficial in certain cases of intrusions on the property.

However, be careful when making these investments. Sometimes, home insurers will raise your premium if you have a gun or an aggressive dog on the property. While you might know that your dog likes your neighbors, or feel that you are an expert at handling a firearm, your insurer might not have that same reassurance. They might increase your policy’s premiums as a result.

All the same, a few investments in the right safety features can not only make you more secure, but also lead to insurance savings. Ask your agent what you can do in cost-effective ways.

Also Read: Does a Nest Doorbell Camera Improve Home Security?