12
May
2015
By Calvin at 09:50 GMT, 10 years ago
Next week I’ll be waving a dampened hankie and saying goodbye to Ben and his intended as they move into their newly converted warehouse apartment in Harefield; about 7 miles away. With Andy having moved into his new place last year, Julia and I will now be on our own for the first time in over 26 years and I’ve no doubt it’s going to take us a long time getting used to it!
There will be a number of, perhaps, selfish advantages, of course. Lower energy and grocery bills, less washing and ironing, fewer lights being left on, unoccupied bathrooms and toilets, another spare bedroom for guests and even the freedom to break wind at what were otherwise inappropriate times.
A noticeable albeit small disadvantage though will be an increase in crime risk simply because our home will be left unoccupied more often. So, knowing this day was looming, I’ve been making arrangements. We had a brand new alarm installed at the beginning of the year, all the lock cylinders have been upgraded to the Kitemarked type, I’ve bought half-a-dozen new timers for the lights and I’ve even acquired one of those Fake TV lights, which we use in one of the front bedrooms.
Fortunately, with Ben living so close, he’ll be checking our place when we go off on holiday and likewise we’ll be doing the same for him. We’re also keyholders for each of our alarm systems, so we think we’ve got everything covered. The next move will be to install some IP CCTV cameras so we can keep a watch on each other’s places and I’m even toying with the idea of being able to remotely turn off and on some lights, all using my mobile phone (so much is possible these days!)
So, the Beckford household will now become just two, but what an exciting time for Ben, who’s now got to practice his own home security!
Incidentally, moving home is one of those times when your risk of theft and burglary increases, so if this is you, you might want to take a look at my advice page on the subject
Moving Home and Security http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/home-security-assessment/680/moving-home-and-security/
