Summer means vacations, visits to family, you name it — near or far, most of us take this season to get away from home. But how do you ensure that your home and belongings stay safe and secure while you’re away? With a wealth of technologies available, there are a number of approaches you could take at a range of price points. We’ll help you choose the best option for your home and needs, and keep your home safe from intruders.
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Floodlight Camera by Ring
Motion-activated lights and cameras are fairly common and easy to access, but this camera connects to your smartphone and your alarm system. Get a notification on your phone when the system is activated, take a look in real time to see who is at your house, and if the situation looks questionable, you can activate the siren alarm system from your phone as well as flash the lights and even speak to the intruder. This system is a pricey one at $249 per unit, but it is compatible with other SmartHome systems like Wink and IFTT — making it an efficient addition to your existing system.
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August Smart Lock
When you’re away from home, you likely have visitors coming to water the plants or check the house – and August Smart Lock allows you to send them a “key” to their smartphone, which allows them to unlock your house without needing to leave a physical key in the planter. The lock system tracks who comes and goes, and with the addition of the doorbell camera, you can see who’s knocking at your door and even let them in remotely using your phone. $586 for the whole package will cover four exterior doors.
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XFINITY Home
If you’re already an XFINITY customer or live in an area where the company is prevalent, this system can be a great add-on to your existing cable/phone package. Use your iPhone or Android to arm/disarm your security system, adjust lights and thermostat while you’re away, address possible intruder alerts, and if you choose a video option, check in with the real-time cameras to make sure everything is ok. If you’re an existing XFINITY customer, this is one of the more economic ways to make your home smart.
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Caseta Wireless Lighting
Using the Lutron app, control your home’s lighting remotely. You won’t ever have to stumble through the house in the dark, but the system can also be set to “away” and will turn on lights in different rooms of the house periodically between 6 and 11pm, at which point the lights will shut off. This gives the appearance that the house is lived in while you’re away, deterring potential intruders who might be paying attention.
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Nest Protect
It’s not just intruders that you want to guard against — Nest Protect is a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that will alert you if anything goes awry in your home while you are away. While you’re home it will speak and alert you to the danger, and while you’re away it will send you an alert – giving you the opportunity to call for help without even being home. Replace those old smoke detectors with these intelligent monitors and you won’t have to ask: is my house up to code?
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Presence Security Pack
This one is a bit of a mix-and-match product for those who really want to customize the sensors in their homes. The pack includes a motion sensor, entry sensors, a water sensor, a temperature sensor, and a ‘presence gateway’ that allows everything to communicate with an iPhone, Android, or other web apps. You can even have alerts sent to family or friends while you’re away if anything needs tending — like a flooded basement or malfunctioning heat in the winter time.
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Abode Home Security Starter Kit
Professional-grade home security with no professional installation required, abode offers battery backup, cellular backup, encrypted wireless communications, and a sleek design that you can monitor from your smartphone for free with no required monthly fees. Add-ons can allow you to expand your security to meet changing needs — like a new baby. Directional cameras, climate monitoring, over 150 other devices and free access to the necessary security apps make abode a great choice.
Settle into your new, secure home more easily when you let a professional team of local movers handle the big stuff, while you focus on comparing what security technology you’ll use to keep your house extra safe.
