Image via PixaBay/Freepik; Edited by LITE
Asians… we’re a superstitious lot. Some of us knock on the door before entering a hotel room to ‘vacate’ the spirits staying there. Then there are those who knock on wood to prevent bad sayings from coming true.
Likewise, you might be concerned about your own home when you start noticing some weird occurrences or hear disturbing sounds but fret not! Here are some very logical explanations for the following mysteries you might be facing:
#1 Hearing water drip but nothing seems to be wet
This might make you think that there’s an entity trying to disrupt your sleep but in reality, it’s most likely one of the pipes in your walls or ceiling, which are leaking.
Watermarks take time to form if it’s leaking onto your plaster ceiling and even longer if it’s through the cement walls. This is why you can’t immediately spot the leakage, but you can hear it.
#2 Electrical appliances seem to have a mind of their own
Flickering lights, sudden blackouts or electrical appliances acting weirdly are also common signs of spirits in the house. You often see ghost hunters using an Electromagnetic Field meter or EMF meter to detect spirits because it’s believed that ghosts have electronic charges.
However, not only has the EMF meter been proven to be a broken method of ghost hunting, it’s also most likely just your electrical wiring that’s faulty or that your light bulbs require change.
Smelling odd odours, especially smoky or burning scents doesn’t mean the doorway to hell opened up near you either. Your wires might be burnt and that’s where the smell is coming from!
#3 Getting odd bruises and red marks on your body
Waking up to bruises, red marks or even scratches all over your limbs? You might panic and wonder which poltergeist visited you last night and got a bit cheeky.
However, your night-time visitor could just be creepy crawlies! Your mattress may be infested with bed bugs, ticks, fleas or ants and they’ve been biting you while you sleep.
Image via Brightside
Though the probable truth isn’t any better, you at least know now that you just need to clean your bed or get a new one. Also, please get those bites and bruises treated at your local GP.
#4 Are the spirits trying to communicate with you through sound?
When you hear random knocking, wood creaking, a typing or clicking sound, or even very low growling sound despite not having pets in your home, it’s not necessarily an angry ghost haunting you. You’re probably facing a termite infestation.
Apparently, termite soldiers would bang their heads or shake their bodies when their colony is disturbed to warn the other termites of danger. Meanwhile, worker termites are very noisy eaters, so you might hear munching too.
Besides that, the wood around your house have also become weak, resulting in constant creaking.
#5 Pets barking at random spots though there’s ‘nothing’ there
Many believe that animals can see or sense spirits but don’t get spooked either if your pets start barking or hissing at ‘nothing’. Animals have sharper senses and they’ve probably noticed termites, a cockroach, rat or other animals invading your home.
Don’t wave your pets’ reaction off as normal animal behaviour either. If the animal invading is dangerous such as snakes or large lizards, then you need to call the Fire and Rescue department immediately.
Make sure you get yourself and your pets away from the dangerous animals as well.
#6 Feeling a presence in the house
Perhaps you’re sure your house isn’t filled with pests. Yet, you still hear weird sounds as if there’s another being in your house.
There could be an actual human breaking into your house! Here’s what you should do in case there’s an intruder:
- You shouldn’t panic nor should you try to confront them, especially if you’re alone. Keep yourself calm and make as little noise as possible.
- Find an exit and escape from your home without being noticed. Once you’re at a safe distance, call the police.
- If it’s not possible to escape, lock yourself in a room and barricade your door.
- Contact the local police. Alternatively, if you have a home alarm system, try to trigger it.
- In case you don’t have a home alarm system and your phone is dead, try to set off your car alarm or find a way to attract your neighbour’s attention to your house.
- In the worst-case scenario where you can’t escape or get help, make sure you’re safely locked away from the intruder and prepare to fight if necessary. Meanwhile, wait until the intruder has left or until it’s day time to come out and get help.
Remember, always put your life and safety above objects no matter how expensive or precious they may be and don’t try to confront the intruder unnecessarily because you don’t know what weapons they’re wielding.
#7 Feeling a draft or chill despite there being no wind
Do you find yourself feeling a breeze or draft even though your doors and windows are closed? Maybe you felt a sudden drop in temperature? Or creepier still, your door and window suddenly creaked open!
It sure makes your hair stand but there’s no need for an exorcism. Rather, you’ll need someone to fix your doors and windows. Though you’ve ensured all of them are closed, they probably have gaps that allow air to pass through or they are no longer secure.
Additionally, they could be caused by a recent break in or it’s just wear and tear. Regardless, you just need to get them fixed.
Of course, dealing with all these structural issues at home won’t always come cheap, so it’s always advisable to get your home—and your family’s safety—covered.
Allianz’s Smart Home Cover gives you the freedom to tailor the coverage according to your needs, allowing you to save more on premiums.
When you purchase a base plan to cover your house or the items in your home, you can choose to add either the landlord insurance, mortgage loan instalment protection, or HomeFix.
HomeFix is a great option for home maintenance, which you can get for as low as RM0.27 per day! With this add-on, you get:
- Repair of burst pipes up to RM20,000.
- Disinfection service in the event you or any of your family members are infected with a notifiable disease or illness such as COVID-19.
- Termites and bed bugs pest control via Allianz partners*, Recommend and Kaodim, once per year up to RM2,500.
- Repair of doors, locks and windows arising from theft via Allianz partners*, Recommend and Kaodim.
- Home repair or service for air conditioner, plumbing, electrical wiring, painting, roofing and locksmith via Allianz partners*, Recommend and Kaodim.
- Reimburse the expenses for engaging domestic help or cleaning services that was incurred within 14 days after the completion of repair works.
*If in any case Allianz Partners are unavailable, claims may be done on a reimbursement basis.
Terms and conditions apply. For more information, visit Allianz’s website or Facebook page.