Altering the appearance of your house to appear abandoned may deter looters or marauders following a life altering event (LAE) or SHTF emergence.
Take steps to make your house look empty, rundown, uninhabited, and hardened. An abandoned house typically contains nothing of high value but the idea here is also that even if there is anything inside to steal, it would be too difficult to make entry.
1. Overgrown Yard: Let the grass and plants grow wild to give the impression that the property is abandoned.
2. Boarded Windows: Use boards on windows to mimic the look of a vacated or damaged home.
3. No Lights: Avoid any visible lights, both inside and outside.
4. Fake Damage: Place debris or simulate minor damage on the exterior.
5. Move Cars: Park cars away from the property or make them look non-functional.
6. Stuff Mailbox: Let spam mail build up.
7. Keep Quiet: Run generator only during the day if background noise can conceal sound, muffle genny in a box or outbarn.
8. Enter/Exit Carefully: Find a side/rear entry method, don't let others see you coming or going.
9. Conceal Activity: If growing a garden, do so in an area surrounded by plant growth. If collecting water, transfering supplies, or completing exterior tasks; do so at night.
10. Target Hardening: If power utilities are still available, it's acceptable to keep outdoor lighting on or add an alarm sign as a deterrence. Also, keep fence/gate locked, reinforce doors (bar, wedge, 3"+ screws for door plates into studs, replace glass doors with solid wood) IOT to deny or delay entry.
These tactics can help create the illusion that the house is not worth targeting but they could also entice looters who look for empty houses with no threat of defense. Consider the drawbacks and weigh your best options. The concept here is to continue residence in your house without attracting attention. This is only a tactic for houses within view of others after a major event that disables common service (power, LE response, etc) and incite widespread crime, marauding, and scavenging.
This article is an excerpt from our Hip Pocket Brief series. See the books here.