Why did I start this website?
My wife has told me in the past on multiple occasions that I should have become a police officer. Or a law enforcement officer. Security manager. Guy who gets paid to lock people’s doors and make sure windows are secured and keeps an eye on a neighbor’s home when they’re away etc. You get the picture.
I notice things and I take security seriously especially around the house. I work from home so when I see someone I don’t recognize in the neighborhood, I may possibly keep an eye on them and see what they’re up to. I people watch too and like figuring people out from a distance. These days, you can’t be too safe right?
But I do also tend to be somewhat observant when it comes to noticing things and just keeping an eye on stuff. It’s just the way I’m wired.
Security around the house
I’m a checker. I am one of those guys who checks door locks multiple times and makes sure windows are shut. I do the same with car doors and at the end of the night before coming in, I always make sure things are put away safely. I don’t distrust people but I don’t trust everyone either, because you can’t.
Once while travelling, I left my hotel room and was halfway down the street thinking about various things in my head when it dawned on me that I couldn’t remember if I’d locked the hotel room door. So I walked all the way back and checked it. Except that I was busy thinking of stuff again so as I left the hotel a second time, I was down the street and then realized (again) that when I went to check on the door being locked, I’d distracted myself and still couldn’t remember if it was closed properly. I went back for a third time. It was closed alright.
I’m not normally that bad, but I do double check car doors, house doors, and everything else with a lock. I’ve never suffered a break-in (touch wood) and hope that I never do.
But security around the house means more than just locks and doors, doesn’t it?
I’m a dad
My wife and I have two girls. I always wanted daughters so I’m super happy about that. But having kids – especially when they’re really young – means safe guarding your house in ways you never previously imagined. Blocking stairs off so they don’t fall down. Locking doors so they can’t reach them and escape out of the house. Making sure they can’t tumble out of their crib. Covering electrical outlets in each room. And so on.
And we have an inground pool too. That adds a whole new layer of danger to keep our kids out of the water when they shouldn’t be and to ensure fencing and gates are closed to keep everyone else out too.
Other concerns
But there are so many ways to view security and safety around your house. To start with, you need to ensure your house is safe from the perspective of:
- Outdoor security – Against break ins and theft.
- Indoor security – Safety within your house.
- Children – Your children and those who visit.
- Elderly – Your parents or grandparents perhaps.
- Disabled – People who live in or visit your house who have special needs.
- Fire – Protection against an accidental fire of some kind.
- Electrical – Protection of the electrical aspects of your house.
- Gas – If you have gas heating or a gas BBQ.
- Water – Every house has running water. Water leaks are messy and expensive.
And part of owning a home involves buying and maintaining appliances such as a fridge, washer, dishwasher, hot water heater and maybe even a water softener among others. They add up in price and learning how to maintain each can help your live a healthier, safer and maybe cheaper life, too.
Make Your Home Safer
You could install a home security system and that might help to make things safer or at least give you peace of mind. But as mentioned above there are so many other aspects of home safety for you and your family to figure out, it’s nice to have some help. Especially if you’re not particularly handy – not everyone is – or if you’re a new homeowner and are just figuring things out.
I went from owning a condo where all I had to worry about was the four walls that surrounded my unit to owning an entire detached house with my wife.
Suddenly we had to figure out a gas furnace (the ignitor broke 2 consecutive Januaries, right in the middle of winter each time), garage door openers (broke once), a salt water pool and related equipment, a shingle roof and so on.
So we’ll talk about all the things I’ve learned about safety around my house to give you some ideas for yours. Thanks for stopping by and please do visit often as I update the website regularly!
Carl
P.S. I should also mention my wife and I have experience being landlords as we have rented out both a condo and house. I typically took care of much of the ongoing work but we selected tenants together. In that regard, I’m pretty familiar with having to account for renter insurance and making sure that a home/condo is taken care of and maintained for tenants.
And in the off chance you’re thinking about buying a home in Germany, we’ve done that too and I wrote about it in great detail. At a minimum, you might like to learn about how real estate works there.