Nothing can end a vacation on a bad note like coming home to find your front door kicked in and your home ransacked. Thieves and burglars rely on empty houses to do their nefarious work, and leaving for vacation gives them an opportunity to act. Thankfully, you can take action and monitor your home even from afar thanks to smart home security systems.
Home security systems help protect your home by recording video, monitoring for motion, and triggering sirens if activity is detected while the system is armed. Here’s how to secure your home while on vacation.
1. Monitor any door with a smart camera
A camera within view of your entry door is one of the best deterrents for a thief. A motion-activated smart home camera records all activity when it is triggered, or you can choose 24/7 monitoring for an additional monthly cost. The presence of one indicates the home might be more trouble than it’s worth, which will turn away all but the most determined thieves.
In the best scenario, the camera will make someone think twice before trying to gain entry. If a break-in occurs, a camera connected to a cloud storage stores footage of anyone that approaches your home, so you will have footage to turn over to the authorities. Smart home cameras trigger a push notification on your mobile device and let you monitor the situation in real-time. While multiple cameras are ideal, the front door should be your top priority if you only have one.
2. Install door and window sensors
Thieves often enter the home through a window. Door and window sensors alert you if either is opened, so you can keep an eye on things while you’re relaxing on the beach.
While armed, any opening of the door or window will trigger the system, alerting you and your monitoring company. Combined with a camera, door and window sensors provide stronger security for the entire home.
3. Invest in professional monitoring
A smart security system sends alerts if anything goes wrong, but what if you’re away from your phone? It’s hard to relax if you’re worried about missing a notification. Professional monitoring can put your worries to rest.
Third-party monitoring puts a security company in charge of your home. If an alert is triggered, the company first tries to contact you, and if they can’t, they will automatically notify the proper authorities.
Professional monitoring is the safest option for home security. While it costs slightly more per month, you don’t have to worry about being away from your phone while enjoying your time away. If your home security system detects motion, an actual human will review it and make the proper call.
4. Use a smart lock to make sure your door stays locked
It’s happened to everyone: You leave for vacation, but you can’t shake the feeling that you forgot to lock the door. A smart lock lets you lock the door from anywhere, and most automatically lock after a certain amount of time. As an added bonus, a smart lock makes it possible to unlock the door for a friend or family member coming to check on your home without worrying if they forgot to lock it behind them.
5. Use smart sensors to monitor the conditions in your home
Not all home threats come from thieves and burglars. If the temperature in your home gets too low or too high, it can damage your belongings. A slow leak can lead to mold and mildew or quickly spiral out of control into a basement flood. These potential threats can be monitored and prevented thanks to smart equipment:
- A smart smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector protects your home and family against unseen dangers.
- A leak sensor placed in the basement and under sinks can alert you if water finds its way somewhere it shouldn’t be.
- A smart thermostat gives you the ability to adjust the internal temperature to a comfortable level when you’re on the way home.
These devices can be monitored from a single app if you use a smart home hub like Xfinity Home. It gives you an easy interface to control and monitor your home, but more importantly, it provides peace of mind so you can find the true meaning of vacation: relaxation.
