Entering a new home in a different city or a locality is quite exciting. But numerous dangers come accompanied with it too. From strangers trying to fool you to peddlers charging you more than the locals – the chances of being cheated are high.
Besides, the crime world is always awake, looking for innocent victims who don’t have many connections. It is easy for them to target you for theft, robbery, or assault as you don’t know much about the locality, have minimal contacts, and will take time to recover from the shock.
It gives the criminals plenty of time to erase their tracks and abscond leisurely. Here are a few valuable tips to follow when you move to a new locality to keep yourself and your family safe.
Choose the Locality Wisely
Visit online forums discussing the locality. Check the crime rate of the area. Every city will have a posh and secured locality as well as a crime-filled place. Choose your housing wisely in a decent place.
If you are moving for a job, inquire the company and local colleagues regarding the best and safest areas. The housing rate will likely be sky high there. But you cannot compromise your safety moving to affordable but unsafe localities. Research about downtown residences, shared places, secure apartments, and safe suburbs if commuting is easy.
Get Familiar With the Region
Once you find a house suitable for your safety and other basic needs, check the property in person. Enquire with the local police station, church, or community groups regarding the property. Get to know whether there were crimes around the area and if the property is safe to move in.
If you are satisfied, move in and stay with a couple of friends or family members for a week. It will be helpful for you to get settled in the house and explore the area together, rather than roaming around alone.
If you are moving in for a job renting a shared space, get to know your roommate well and explore the area along with them. Familiarize the shortcuts, local transports, the usual time the shops open and close in the area, the crowded places, and the lonely silent regions. If you get attacked while going out alone, you should know how to quickly reach the nearby congested junction.
Be Prepared for Emergencies
List all the emergency numbers in the area like doctors, police, firefighters, and handypersons to repair the new house’s minor issues, etc. Store it on your mobile, print it, and paste it in a place where you can easily see them.
When you move to a new area, the people around you will not know whether you have any medical condition, and how to help you during an emergency, etc. Install apps like ICE, Medical ID, or Emergency on your smartphone. Upload all your details like emergency contact of your friend or family member, blood group, allergy details, medications you consume, etc., in the app.
You can access the ICE app even if the smartphone screen is locked. In addition to storing the emergency contacts and core medical details on the mobile, print them on a visiting card and keep them in your wallet. If you meet an unexpected accident or your mobile phone gets broken, people will search your wallet for details. This card will serve as your lifesaver.
Check for Climate Dangers
The new city or locality might have a different climate. Some cities are prone to tornadoes, while others get frequent earthquakes. Some localities are in low-lying areas where flooding is common. Read the news about natural calamities in the area for the past two years.
You will know what sort of climatic risk the area has. Choose home, vehicle, and personal insurance based on those details. Upgrade or change your insurance plan pertaining to the place you move. For example, if your insurance does not cover theft and you have to move to an area with a slightly higher risk, change the plan.
Change the Locks
Change the locks in the house as you start living in it because most places will have spare keys, and you don’t know who has those keys. Changing the locks and upgrading the home security systems or installing a new one is always advisable. If the house already has a security system, reset it and change all passwords and alarm triggers.
Stay Safe from Garden Danger
Ensure the lawn or garden around the house is thoroughly mowed and sprayed with insecticides before moving into the home. You do not want to get bit by a black widow spider on the very first day of your arrival. Cleaning the garden thoroughly will enable you to find and fix any misplaced sprinkler wire, electrical wire caught in the bushes.
Take Steps to Stay Connected
Check whether the house has good mobile reception, internet signal, etc. If not, install special boosters necessary to make the home stay connected. An isolated home without much connection to the outer world and digital signals lends a red-carpet welcome to burglars. Ensure all your electronic safety devices like alarms, security systems, and cameras work fine with a good signal by installing the necessary signal boosting devices in the house.
Network with the neighbors through the church, community functions, bars, and recreation clubs. Check the details of your neighbors on the Nuwber website before establishing a solid connection with them. Anybody might try to fool you by pretending to be a resident of the area as you are new to the locality.
Moving to a new city and house is exciting and opens a new chapter in the place. Take precautions to stay protected in such situations to enjoy the new adventure. Choose the locality wisely, checking for minimal crime rate and climate damages. Have company for a few days until you get used to the new area. Change your locks, upgrade your insurance, keep the surroundings clean and always stay connected with the outer world. Network with neighbors, familiarize the site and always have emergency contacts at hand.
