<!– @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>

These days you just can’t trust your neighbors. As the American population has become more transient, people move in and out of neighborhoods all the time. So you really don’t get to know your neighbors like previous generations did. When you need to borrow some sugar for the cookies you’re baking, you can’t just go ask the people next door because you may not even know their names! If you need to ask someone for a favor, you can’t rely on the people across the street because chances are good that you’ve never even had a real conversation with them. Because you know less and less about the people living right next to you, it’s important to increase your home security to protect yourself.

 

The reality is that even if you don’t have relationships with the people who live near you, they may still know quite a lot about you. The information that is visible to your neighbors makes you vulnerable to having your property stolen. For instance, when you make a big new purchase, your neighbors see a delivery truck arrive and unload your expensive new belongings, or they watch you carry your pricey new goods into your home. Additionally, when you leave your home for an extended period of time, like when you go on vacation, your neighbors will surely be able to tell that your home is unoccupied. As newspapers pile up outside your house, as your mailbox overflows, and as your car sits in the same exact place in your driveway, your neighbors will realize that no one is home at your house and it is an easy target for theft. If you don’t have a good relationship with your neighbors, they’ll feel less responsibility for your happiness. Not only will they feel disconnected from trying to protect your home from potential robbers, but they may even be tempted to break-in themselves. The best way to protect yourself from any threat to your house and your possessions is to install a quality home alarm system. That way you can arm the system when you leave your house, and you won’t have to worry about whether anyone is trying to steal from you. You’ll feel happier and more relaxed, and will be able to trust your neighbors better.

 

Even if your neighbors aren’t going to steal anything from you, they may be tempted to break into your house for another reason. People get curious about what goes on in each others’ homes, and if you’ve ever seen Desperate Housewives, you know that sometimes, people just want to snoop inside their neighbor’s house. If you arm your home security system before you leave your house, anyone who breaks in will either be terrified and then try to flee, or they will be caught by the authorities who are tipped off when the alarm sounds. So if you don’t want to passively allow your home to be broken into, take two vital steps to ensure your safety. First, install a home alarm system, and second, go across the street and next door, and say “hello” to your neighbors. Trying to build a good friendship with them can also go a long way towards increasing the safety of your home.