6 Home Security Issues When Moving

Here are 6 home security issues when buying new land and tips to help protect both yourself and your family.

When moving out to the country or off the grid, isolation and security do not always go hand in hand. Chances are if your future property has neighbors, it also has trespassers.

When people move out to the country, it is easy to assume that everyone is a “good old boy” and respects you as the new owner of your property.

Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. There are many factors that play into people trespassing and what you can do to protect yourself.

#6 Signs Of Intruders

First things first, take a walk on your new land, or the land you want to buy. Walk the entire perimeter of the property, making sure not to trespass onto your neighbors land.
Keep in mind, you should dress appropriately and bring the right gear. I would strongly suggest hunter’s orange and go protected.

If you see signs of trespassers, contact your local authorities, do not approach unprepared.

#5 Problem With Neighbors and Home Security

Many times when you buy rural land, the neighbors or locals have enjoyed the benefit of using this land for free.

Sometimes the neighbors have been given permission to use the land from the previous owner.
Make sure you ask the seller if they have given permission to anyone to use the land.

If they have, ask them to contact that person and inform them they have sold or are selling the property and are no longer allowed to use it.

In addition to giving proper notice, if you see items on your new land, make sure they were the former owners and not the neighbors.

I had a friend buy some land that had a small pond and a boat on it.

They were thrilled with this little luxury until the neighbor claimed the boat was theirs and the former owner let them use the pond whenever they liked.

They were not happy that my friend didn’t want to extend the same privilege of their land to them.

#4 No Trespassing

One of the very first things we did when we bought our off grid property was that we removed the for sale signs and replaced them with no trespassing signs. 

Since we live in Tennessee and they have adopted the purple no trespassing policy, we also walked our land and sprayed the trees every 50 ft. or so with purple paint.

Each state has their rules and regulations for posting no trespassing, to learn more about your state regulations.

#3 Remove Easy Access For Your Home Security

Do you have a road or a drive to your land? Install a two gate entry system that you can secure with concrete and sturdy locks.

Even if an intruder or trespasser makes it through the first gate without you noticing, chances of them making it through the second gate unnoticed are slim.

In addition to the gates and locks, make sure you reinforce your gate post with concrete or rebar.

#2 Squatters

What is a Squatter?

A squatter is a person who unlawfully occupies property you own.

In some states, squatters have rights. What this means is the Squatters often claim rights over the spaces they have squatted by virtue of occupation, rather than ownership.

If this is the case on your land, you may have to file a legal eviction notice for the squatters to be removed from your land and wait for the order to be carried out.

Every state has different laws in dealing with squatters, so make sure you check your local laws first. For instance, our state of Tennessee doesn’t have squatters rights, but we do have Adverse Possession.
Adverse possession protects the right to remain on a piece of land on which they have lived peacefully for years.

I highly advise walking your property thoroughly before purchasing in order to ensure there are no signs of squatters on your land.

#1 Humans Aren’t The Only Trespassers

Wildlife of all kinds occupied our land for far longer than we have. If you think about it, we are the trespassers.

When we first moved onto our land, there was this tiny cabin on it that we wanted to live in while we built our home. The cabin had been abandoned for almost two decades and the wildlife had made permanent residence in it.

On top of dealing with snakes, squirrels, raccoons, spiders, ants, bees, wasps, roaches, and birds (that was purely on the inside of the cabin!), we also have black bears, bobcats, and coyotes- just to name a few.

Protecting our children from the dangerous wildlife is paramount, but education is the key. Knowing what is dangerous, poisonous, and a threat vs. what is friendly, beneficial and non-threatening.

Securing our living area was our first priority and we did so by:

• Removing brush from around our living area and places for wildlife to hide.
• Trimming trees away from the roof line
• Adding human hair and urine around the perimeter
• Sealing cracks and holes
• Using herbs and oils to repel biting insects, spiders, and snakes
• Removing all food and food containers by either burning it or placing it in a sealed container in our vehicles
• Staying armed and alert.

Never get complacent when living in the wild. It’s easy to let your guard down and get lazy when you’re comfortable. Generally, that’s when the unexpected happens. Stay diligent to keep you and your family safe.

Do you have any home security tips to share?

In order to help secure your home, you can plant your security fence.

We offer 10 amazing plants for security that are great at keeping out unwanted intruders.

In addition to thorny, spiky, and all-around nasty plants, we have more tips for home security.

 

 

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