Home automation systems are designed to make life easier. These days you can turn your lights on and off, lock or unlock your doors and even monitor your property with just a few taps on your smartphone.
57% of Americans say having smart home products saves them an average of 30 minutes a day. Home automation also gives homeowners peace of mind when it comes to security. But with so many home automation devices on the market, which ones do you choose? Read this guide for a complete overview of home automation devices and learn how to secure your home.
Why is Home Security Important?
You know you need to keep your family safe. When you leave home each morning and drive to work you expect to come home and find your home safe and sound. But that’s not always the case.
According to the FBI, there is a home burglary every 13 seconds. The average burglary takes place in the middle of the day when no one is home, not at night as most people suspect. A burglary or theft can have devastating effects both emotionally and financially on your family.
While financial losses can be recovered, the trauma of burglary can last a lifetime.
As the temperatures rise during the summer months, so do the number of burglaries. Most break-ins occur from June to August.
Just because you are renting your home, doesn’t mean you are in the clear. One trend that has been going on for decades is that renters experience more burglaries on average than homeowners. It’s just as important for renters to have home security as it is for people who own their homes. A home automation system offers protection for your loved ones and your property. Be prepared for the worst and make an investment into a home security system.
Research conducted by the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice showed that alarm systems help deter burglars. The University of North Carolina proved that burglars were more hesitant to enter a home that is fitted with visible security equipment. In fact, when would-be thieves see the system, 31% retreat.
Home security systems are an effective means of protecting your family and your property. If you don’t have a home security system you are taking an unnecessary risk and putting your family in danger.
Smart Home Devices are a Good Choice
Home automation is exactly what it sounds like. It gives you the ability to control your items around the house – locking the doors to securing your home. You can use a computer, tablet, your smartphone or your voice to give commands to your smart devices.
The smart home device market is growing rapidly. By 2022 it is forecasted to top $53 billion. This technology allows your home to do the work for you. Through the use of sensors, software, and wifi everyday objects in your home do their jobs automatically.
You can set up routines or automatic schedules for your home automation devices or some of them simply run all the time in the background. For example, you can program your smart lights to turn on while you are away on vacation or your front door to lock at the same time each weekday after you leave for work.
Individually connected devices in your home’s security system can do lots of useful things. A smart door lock can let your children in after school and smart lights can flash on and off if the security system detects a break-in. This can help cops find the house that has been burglarized more easily and help them see the thief in the dark. But when you put all these devices together that is where they really shine.
Let’s take an in-depth look at all of the technology available to help secure your home and make your life easier.
Top Voice Assistants
Voice assistance has become a common feature of many products that are now available “Smart speakers” are ready to help set alarms, tell us the weather and lock our doors after receiving a voice command.
Two main smart speakers are dominating the field: Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Google Home
Google Home is the smart speaker designed by the internet search engine giant put out to compete with Amazon’s Alexa device. The Google Home is primarily designed to be a Voice Assistant. A voice assistant is a virtual helper that is connected to the internet. This is the same system that can be accessed on Andriod phones.
The Google Home Assistant is always listening to its environment but won’t record what you are saying or respond to commands until you say one of its programmed wake-up phrases. These phrases are “Okay Google” and “Hey Google”. There are tons of tasks Google Home can do for you with new commands being added all the time.
Amazon Alexa
Alexa is Amazon’s voice assistant. It is available on hundreds of millions of devices from Amazon and third-party manufacturers. Alexa boasts a more intuitive way to interact with your smart home devices every day.
Both voice assistant systems can help you manage your home security cameras, lock your doors, and set your alarms. It may just be a question of which one is the right fit for you. If you use an Andriod phone, Google home will flow seamlessly with your smartphone and other Google products. But if you are a frequent Amazon shopper there are a lot of perks that come with purchasing the Alexa device.
How to Secure Your Home With Smart Doorbells
Smart doorbells, like other smart devices, connect to the internet. Most smart doorbells are easy and quick to install and come with built-in speakers, cameras, and microphones. Wouldn’t it be cool to see who was at your door without ever getting off the couch? Now you can with a smart doorbell.
It’s easy to use for your visitors too. All they have to do is press the button just as they would with any doorbell. Then you will receive a notification on your phone that tells you someone is at your door. You can then look and see who is at your door and even communicate with them while they are waiting.
And while being able to answer the door from anywhere is huge there is another reason why smart doorbells are winning people over. Smart doorbells are helping the police catch and identify criminals. The quality of the video from the smart cameras makes all the difference in catching crooks. The technology also allows users to share their videos with the police easily leading to more arrests in the past year.
Ring Video Doorbell
The name ring might sound familiar. It is one of the most popular smart doorbells on the market. And there is no denying it, Ring is also one of the best.
Ring has perfected its product to work consistently and reliably. It’s easy to use and install. If you don’t have a lot of home automation devices Ring is a great intro product. It also offers something for everyone. It’s advanced features help keep your family and your property protected and it offers a very convenient experience to the user.
Ring also comes with a lifetime protection plan. They will even go as far as replacing your doorbell if it is ever stolen. Ring is customizable and it allows you to configure your own motion alert zones.
Self-Monitored Home Security Systems
If you want to install a home security system but don’t want to pay for professional monitoring, there are many great options on the market. These systems will keep your home safe from burglars and your property secure.
Self-monitored home security systems can cost a pretty penny and be a bit tricky to set up, but it’s totally worth the investment. You can’t put a price on keeping your family safe. Here are two are the top self-monitored home security systems.
Abode IOTA
The Abode IOTA is great for smaller spaces. This option works well if you live in an apartment or if you only want to monitor a specific area of your home. This device comes with an HD camera that shows a wide-angle of any room and records high-quality video footage – even in the dark.
It requires little effort to set up and comes complete with a door, window, and mini sensor that you can use to keep your valuables safe.
Ring Alarm
The Ring Alarm is probably the closest you will get to a traditional security home system. Its wide coverage area makes it ideal for spacious homes. This system features an entry sensor and a motion detector in the five-piece starter set.
Another feature we love is the range extender. It allows to place your security system further away from your Wi-Fi router then you would with other systems. Ring Alarm can be used in conjunction with the Ring smart doorbell or you can purchase a camera separately.
Smart Locks for Your Front Door
While a regular door lock works just fine to secure your front door, you should take a look at the new smart lock technology. How many times has this scene happened to you? You approach your front door with your arms are loaded up with shopping bags only to have to set them all down to find your keys to unlock the door. Or, you try to balance all the shopping bags as you find your keys and unlock the door. Don’t drop the eggs!
Now picture your front door with your new smart lock. You approach the front door again with your arms filled with shopping bags. When you get to the stoop the smart door lock recognizes your smartphone and automatically unlocks. Or maybe you want to grant entry to guests or friends when you are not home – just send them a code. Pretty smart.
It can even keep track of who opened the door and send an alert to you when they d. Different models have different features but this home automation device will definitely help keep you and your family safer and offer convenience.
A smart lock replaces the bolt lock on your front door. The install process can be done on your own and isn’t too difficult. And a smart lock isn’t that expensive either. Most of them cost roughly a little more than a regular front door lock.
Smart door locks are battery operated and most of the batteries last about a year. It will send you an alert to your phone when the battery needs to be replaced. The batteries keep the device working even when there isn’t the power to your home. Some of the models even have a place to hook up a battery externally just in case the battery dies unexpectedly.
Top Security Cameras
A smart security camera system can provide peace of mind to you and your family. It can capture package thieves, home invaders, the neighbor’s dog taking a poop in your yard, and even keep a watchful eye on your children and pets.
Smart security cameras are getting better and better. Today’s smart cameras are highly customizable. Many are sold in DIY kits and others include professional installation. You can choose to monitor the camera/s yourself or have a professional company do it for you. Of course the more coverage you need the more you can expect to pay, but today’s systems are affordable.
We recently tested out multiple security cameras and found the Nest Cam Outdoor to be the best overall. The Nest Cam Outdoor consistently delivers reliable, high-res video 24 hours a day no matter what the weather conditions are. This durable camera sends it’s video into the cloud for storage and integrates seamlessly with other Nest products. Read our complete guide on automated security cameras here
Automated Smart Devices Keep Your Home Safe
Home automation systems are designed with convenience and safety in mind. Keep your family safe by installing one, two, or perhaps a whole network of automated smart devices in and around your home. Now that you learned how to secure your home please share this article with your friends and family and read out other articles on home automation.