With new advancements in Smart Home technology, securing your estate in the off-season has never been easier. By making a few, small upgrades, you’ll be free to live a luxury, lock and leave lifestyle, that will allow you to check in on your home from anywhere in the world. Here are five of the best new technologies that will help secure your property this off-season:
1. Timed Lights:
This is a tried and true security measure that keeps homes looking occupied even when they’ve been vacant for months on end. Consider using timers on your smart hub to turn on and off your lights at specific times and in specific patterns each night. Make it look like people are moving throughout the house automatically on a recurring schedule, or turn on/off the lights at will by using the app on your Smart Phone.
With the Flux Bluetooth Smart Bulb, you can even dim lights or change their color all from the app on your phone.
2. Motion Sensors:
The tactic of using motion sensors goes hand in hand with timed lights. Use smart motion sensors on the outside of your property to trigger lights inside or outside of your home. Set up the sensors to catch motion when someone walks up to your front gate, dock, or base of your driveway and use these sensors to prompt floodlights, bathroom lights, or even have them turn on a camera.
And, with the Portable Smart Motion Sensor by Jasco, you can move your motion sensor indoors while you’re home and use it for extra energy saving by setting the sensor to turn the lights on and off based on occupancy.
3. Security Cameras:
Even the sight of a security camera can help deter nosey neighbors, potential burglars, or rowdy teenagers. With new technologies, these cameras now look sleek, capture a wide range of footage, are easy to install (even battery operated) and notify your Smart Phone. Arlo Security Cameras are also connected to motion detectors, which notify you when movement has been detected, and use the motion as a signal to turn the camera on to start recording. Capable of live streaming, security cameras are the perfect way to constantly keep eyes on your home even when you’re in a different country.
4. Front Door:
There are so many new technologies that can make your front door more secure, and it’s a good thing too because a majority of break-ins happen with intruders first approaching the front door. Use a doorbell camera to live stream and even talk to visitors that have approached your home. Or, consider getting a Smart Lock that has a changeable code or offers guest codes so that you don’t have to give out or keep a spare key for any repair people, visitors, or guests. The August Smart Lock even allows for an auto-locking feature, which automatically locks the door every time your phone leaves the house.
5. Automated Garage/Gate
Just as you considered protecting your front door, think of using similar tactics on a front gate or garage. Maybe in the off-season there’s no reason to let a repairman into the house when they only need to be in the garage or yard. By upgrading your garage opener or gate opener to a smart device, you’ll be able to open or close these features from anywhere in the world at any time. And what’s even better is that these smart features don’t even require replacing an entire system. With a garage door opener like the Chamberlain MYQ, which is compatible with most brands of garage door openers post 1993, it’s easy to upgrade and start enjoy the benefits of smart technology.