How to Beat the High Cost of Anxiety Caused by Leaving Your Home Unprotected
Leaving your home alone for any period of time can create a sense of anxiety that increases in direct proportion to the length of that uninhabited period. This fear and dread can rise to overwhelming levels depending upon factors related to location such as living in a high crime area or living far away from the protective eyes of neighbors. Beating the high cost of anxiety of leaving your home for an extended period comes down to a proactive steps that you must decide are worth the effort or not.
Talk Radio
Talk radio is no place to get your news and information upon which to view what you come to believe are you own opinions, but that’s not to say that right wing chatter doesn’t have a use. Leaving a radio tuned to those who bluster for a living can create the sensation to those on the other side of locks doors and windows that people are home. Talk radio is most effective for shortest periods of absence. The suspicion and doubt of the reality of conversation increases come midnight.
Window Shopping
Burglars become trained in the art of noticing subtle changes in a house such as one where the shades are closed when they are usually open. Pulling curtains, drapes and blinds closed when you leave is a good idea to stop people from looking in, but the very same action can be a signal to pros to come on in. Before leaving, step outside the house and look at it from the perspective of a burglar. Note which windows are open and which are closed by curtains, drapes or blinds. Leaving the house in the same condition is probably a safer bet than obstructing peeping eyeballs. This is the kind of subtle things that really good burglars will notice.
Alarm Sign
Anyone thinking of breaking into a house is bound to take the risk of burglarizing a home that doesn’t seem to be protected by a professional alarm system than one that is. Get yourself a few signs to stick on your window indicating the presence of an alarm system if you don’t have the cash to actually buy one. Will a faux sticker fool a pro? Probably not. Will it fool somebody who just happens to be passing by and notices that you aren’t home? Possibly.
Dog It
The best deterrent possible even in cases where a house is inhabited it a big dog with a loud bark. If you’ve got such an animal and you can leave it alone in the house for the time you are away, by all means do so. The next best thing is a recording of a dog barking loudly at irregular intervals. At the very least, put up a sign that says beware of dog and indicate the presence of a pet by leaving some heavily used pet toys lying around the property.
Timed Lighting
Timers can effectively portray the illusion that a house is inhabited. Invest in just a couple of timers in heavily used rooms like bedrooms, kitchen and living rooms. Any indication that someone is home is a good deterrent and if your house already looks like a target due to the lack of a vehicle, you want to take any steps you can to create doubt. Lights that turn on and off will do this. Get the manual for your new big screen television and flip through it. Your TV may have a timer to turn it off after a certain period of time at the very least. Take advantage of this is your trip away from the house is only overnight.
