Your safety concern is understandable if you're hesitant to plunge into tiny house living. After all, cramped quarters can make you feel vulnerable to outside dangers. However, that doesn't mean you can't have a great security system in place; you have to be savvy about the options accessible to you and the precautions you should take for your peace of mind.
Here are five easy things you can do to ensure the safety of your tiny house, no matter what you call home: Keep reading to find out whether they're!
Keep Your Tiny Home Safe
Hinge For Doors With Safety Tabs
If your front door swings outward to conserve room inside, you must not use standard hinges because they would be visible from the street.
It is because either the pin can be pried out or the hinge may be slashed, making the door easy to remove from its hinges and the frame.
That could be safer! Instead, you should instal a security door hinge, such as one with a locking tab.
These include an extra tab within the hinge itself, making it such that when the door is open, the two halves of the hinge are locked together and cannot be separated, even if the pin were to be removed.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to door security is never to leave ordinary hinges accessible to the outside.
Lock Wheels
Locks are another excellent choice for preventing your mobile home from rolling away inadvertently. It's a lot of work to remove these gadgets used by traffic police to identify automobiles parked illegally without the right equipment.
Most would-be thieves will be deterred by locks that require more than just a key to open.
Wheel locks are useful, but they might be costly to buy initially. The cost may seem high initially, but think about how much you can lose if the entire house is robbed.
Put a lock on at least any one of your wheels.
You can protect your vehicle's tyres from damage by stacking brick in front of them if you intend to leave it parked in one place for an extended period. Because of this, transporting the Fixer Upper RV will be a challenge.
Putting your Tiny on bricks or removing the wheels is another option for long-term parking. You won't find instructions here for making your Manufactured Home RV completely stationary; rather, you'll learn how to keep it from moving around without your permission.
Gps Technology
If intruders get past your other defences, a GPS concealed in the house will help you track them down. There are a variety of solutions for tiny house tracking devices on the market.
Most of these products also include a monitoring system that keeps track of everything for you. The monthly cost is often less than $25, which is reasonable given that it could be among the greatest ways to track down your stolen home. Working with the local police department is essential if your home has a tracking device.
- Get a GPS tracker that is purpose-built for that purpose. You'll want to think about how it communicates with its main hub. Many people rely on SMS, but before getting one, make sure it comes with a SIM card. Furthermore, be sure the GPS tracking equipment you choose has a long enough battery life to last for weeks.
- Find Your Phone and a low-cost Android phone. More of a do-it-yourself solution, tracking your tiny house's location can be done by purchasing a cheap Smartphone with a strong battery and then using the phone's standard "find your phone" functionality. To prevent theft, you can conceal the phone in an inconspicuous location. However, the battery life may not compare well to a standalone GPS tracker.
- Get a GPS tracker from your insurance provider and use it. Strategic Insurance, a specialist in insuring tiny homes, will provide you with a GPS tracker as part of your insurance policy. It is a fantastic choice because it eliminates purchasing a second, potentially costly GPS tracker.
Canine Drive
Dogs are effective deterrents because they make a lot of noise and look menacing, which is enough to put off many would-be offenders.
One or more dogs on the premises may be enough to deter a would-be burglar.
Though dogs of any size can deter some burglars, they shouldn't be your only line of defence if you live in a micro-apartment.
Signalling Lights For Moving Objects
Potential burglars are often looking for places to hide as they scope out a new target, especially when it is dark outside.
Motion lights are invaluable to deter would-be criminals or at least make them think hard about breaking and entering.
These lights will expose any hiding spots around your house and deter intruders.
When shopping for motion lights, you will find various fixtures. However, most people who live in tiny houses find that battery-powered appliances are the most convenient, so they can be set up without running any wires.
Intelligent Hardware
Maintaining vigilance over your house's safety is less of a hassle now than ever, thanks to advancements in smart home technologies. You may also buy do-it-yourself kits with both motion and sound detectors. As soon as these input devices identify potentially malicious behaviour, they will notify you via text message on your phone.
Smart technologies have one major drawback, though: they always need to be connected to a power source and the internet to function properly. So it may not be an option if there is no WiFi service in the area of your tiny house.
Electronic Eyes For Safety And Security
The most effective method of deterring burglaries involves installing visible security cameras in and around the residence. Your video files can be kept either on a local machine or in the cloud, depending on your setup. Quality is typically greater with local storage, but uploading to the cloud allows convenient on-demand access.
Put up a notice to let would-be intruders know they're being watched at all times if you decide to install a spy camera to increase the safety of your tiny house.
You can install security lighting and cameras around the front of your parking space in the same way you would a real house. Signs reading "Smile, you're on camera", and door alarms are two other options. Your home's security needs will vary depending on your parking situation and preferences.
Because many modern home security camera systems are "smart" and stream to the internet, burglars cannot eventually break in and smash the CCTV recording equipment, making the presence of security cameras or a CCTV system outside and possibly within your little house an effective deterrent.
The cheapest alternatives typically record to a CCTV recorder inside your smaller home, so it's important to compare prices and consider upgrading to a "smarter" model that allows for remote viewing and recording of the feeds through the internet.
Some camera systems even send you an email if they detect motion outside of the predetermined hours, which is very helpful if you know you are never home during those times.
Limit Participation
If you might not want your tiny house stolen, make it hard for potential thieves to access and relocate it. It's a good idea to install a lockable gate to prevent intruders from entering your property. They might be able to climb over it, but it would not be easy to pull the home through!
Place some enormous stones or buildings around your tiny house when you're gardening to force any would-be burglars to spend considerable effort clearing a path to your home. Either that or park a large and hefty vehicle next to the hitch to prevent other cars from using it.
Protection For Entrances And Exits, Including Locks For Windows And Doors.
It may seem simple, but check that all of your doors and windows are in good working order, that they can be locked, and that they preferably have multiple locking points. Thieves in training are typically opportunists who wait for the right moment to strike.
Thieves might easily enter your home and steal your belongings through an unlocked window or an unprotected door.
Close windows always when not in use. Locking up your home while you're away is just as important as locking your car when you leave it alone. Although the last point may seem basic, you'd be surprised at how often individuals must remember to close their windows and doors.
Simple online tutorials and inexpensive lock-picking tools make selecting a basic pin-tumbler door lock a piece of cake.
While there are locks available with magnetic keys, we advise investing in a professional-grade keyless door lock, including the Schlage Keypad Deadbolt, which is more expensive but provides a higher level of security.
It is more secure than a conventional lock and key and a lot more convenient since you won't have to fumble with a key there in the dark or worry about dirt particles entering the lock as you move your tiny house across muddy terrain. In addition, the keypad illuminates so that you can see the buttons even in the dark.
Home Watchers
It's easy to organise if you're only going to be gone for the weekend, and your tiny house is the perfect place for your friends and family to stay while you're away. Your other option is to rent your place through a site like Airbnb and collect rent from guests while you're away.
The potential drawbacks include the need for a replacement for your stay and the necessity of verifying whether or not your insurance coverage covers paying visitors in your home.
Act Like You're At Home
You use a plug-in clockwork timer to turn on and off your TV, radio, or lights at predetermined times during the day if you know you won't have somebody to house-sit for you. Having a TV or light in your tiny house might make it look like someone is home, which can deter potential burglars. Another clever strategy is to use a phoney dog.
If You Need To Know Something, Ask Around
When you are away from home for a few days, instead of utilising a mechanical clock to turn lights around, you could inform some reliable neighbours of your absence and ask them to check your property.
You could even bribe them with a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine to go inside at specific times of the day to turn the lights on/off, making it appear as though someone is home. Putting your trust in your neighbours is a terrific habit to get into, and you never know when they could ask you to help keep the neighbourhood you live in a little house in a little bit safer.
It Would Be Best If You Didn't Run Ads While Away
With the prevalence of social media these days, it's common for vacationers to double as advertisements by posting several photos of their travels online. Naturally, this is OK with friends, but if you share these photos publicly, you risk becoming a target for burglars who watch for people who appear to be on vacation to break into their houses.
It's unsettling to contemplate, but it's safer to be cautious rather than sorry: determine in advance whether or not your public posts and images will be visible to anyone online. If they can, and you have previously shared details about your location and images of your small house, there are better ideas than announcing that you are gone from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people who live in tiny homes find it difficult to keep them at a comfortable temperature because of the lack of available space. Therefore, condensation forms on the walls, windows, and furnishings. Mould can easily spread through a compact house if suitable ventilation and cooling devices, like air conditioners, aren't installed.
Adopting a more mindful way of life has far-reaching advantages for individuals and society. There are many advantages to living in a tiny house, including lower initial and ongoing costs, more portability, and less environmental effect.
Tiny houses can be secure during thunderstorms and lightning if the right precautions are taken. Storm preparation is recommended because rain can cause damage to electrical systems and timber structures. Trim limbs away from electricity wires or bury them to prevent them from becoming damaged by the elements.
