Your home is one of the most expensive purchases that you’ll ever invest in, often spending years saving for just the right place. It’s critical to feel safe in your home and, unfortunately, the world isn’t such a safe place anymore. You need to be proactive in protecting your family and property. As such, here are several great reasons to invest in a smart home security system today.
1. Keep Your Property Safe and Secure from Theft
Burglaries occur more frequently in the summer, rising 10 percent during June, July, and August. The FBI reported that, in 2017, there were over 7 million property crimes in the United States. These numbers are staggering and illustrate the importance of protecting your family and property. The home security systems that are available today are not like the ones your parents had, with fuzzy video and unreliable motion sensor lights.
They are smart, integrated systems that allow you to operate your security remotely and even automate everyday home actions and tasks which acts more like an assistant, at times, than the sentinel for your property.
Security cameras are invaluable safety devices which can differentiate between people, vehicles, and objects, meaning there are fewer false alarms. A central monitoring station watches over your property when you’re asleep, at home, or gone on vacation. These are truly revolutionary security solutions and could be a major reason why property crimes have decreased in recent years.
[Editor’s note: I wrote a book about the many additional home security actions you can–and should–take to keep your home and family safe; alarms and cameras are only a small part of the solution.]
2. Home Security Reduces Insurance Premiums
Many insurance companies offer reduced rates for properties with home security systems. The reduced rates are because insurance companies pay out for fewer claims on homes with security systems which means they can pass on the savings to vigilant homeowners, like you. While there are a variety of factors which affect insurance quotes, security systems sometimes mean significant discounts.
3. 24/7 Integrated Monitoring Where Someone is Always Guarding Your Property
A monitored home alarm system provides 24/7 protection, as mentioned previously. When the system detects a threat or anomaly to typical patterns, it alerts a central station where trained agents check the event. Once they receive the information and confirm it’s a threat, they notify law enforcement and other first responders. Some systems even allow the people monitoring your alarm system to issue vocal commands which usually scares intruders off.
There are several things that burglars don’t like to see on the properties they case: glass break detection, security cameras, and image motion sensors. Many integrated smart systems offer these services today. Last, you might also want to know precisely how home alarm monitoring actually works.
4. Protection from Fire and Carbon Monoxide
Monitored security alarms are excellent guards against house fires as well. A smart home security system can detect smoke and serve as an early warning system. It can also identify irregular heat sources that indicate a fire. For example, by adding a heat detector to your alarm system it will alert with the smallest heat changes to prevent fires from the start. When seconds count, a monitored alarm system with a heat detector can help save lives and even reduce property damage.
Some home security systems integrate with carbon monoxide detectors to monitor the amounts of this undetectable, odorless gas in your home. Carbon monoxide is deadly and can be released by burning wood, heating systems, stoves, and other sources. It’s a silent deadly killer because you’ll never smell it or see it in your home. However, your carbon monoxide detectors can and now your home security system can help.
5. Save Money on Your Energy Bills
Smart home security systems can even help manage your electrical bills. These systems are intelligent, and you can program them to send you reminders when someone leaves a door or window open. Most of these systems set back to energy-savings mode until someone corrects the problem, then the system resets to your typical comfort setting. With remote access, you can also shut down heating and cooling systems or turn on or off lights no matter where you are. You can even program the system to set the temperature back when you’re not there and bump it back up just before you come home. Just imagine the savings on your electric bill alone!
6. Medical Assistance
Whether you live alone or have elderly parents living with you, you can also get medical alert pendants and bracelets or emergency pulls installed with your security system. If someone falls, for instance, they can press the button on the pendant or bracelet and the system sends an alert to the 24/7 monitoring center. The monitoring center checks on you and dispatches emergency services to your house.
7. Home Automation Made Easy
Security systems with home automation streamline household chores and make everyday tasks easier too. That is, they pair with electronics made with home automation in mind. Use voice control to turn on lights and electronics without getting up from your seat. You can create scenes that perform multiple functions when you issue a specific command. For example, you can set a scene to lock all the doors and arm the alarm when you say “nighttime” or “lock up the house.” If you’re really forgetful, just set the security system to set the alarm and lock the house at a specific time every night.
8. Monitor Your Outdoor and Indoor Cameras Remotely
Another useful security feature is the ability to monitor your security cameras remotely. You can set the system to alert you when the cameras detect suspicious activity, and you can pull up the indoor and outdoor cameras using an app on your smartphone. Manipulate them to surveil your property and connect with the monitoring system if you need law enforcement to respond. Outside hidden home security cameras record activity without anyone knowing it. All this, from just about anywhere in the world.
[Editor’s note: I really like my Blink security cameras as a DIY camera option. I’ve had them for well over a year now and they’ve worked nearly flawlessly! The five camera system I have covers the entire outside of my house, driveway and detached garage, but I’ll eventually want more because I think I’m paranoid, lol. Fortunately, it’s easy to upgrade. And, if you want, you can include indoor cameras, but I’ve yet to do that.]
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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