Summer is approaching fast, and our vacations are on our minds. And pretty soon, our daydreams of the dreamy ocean tide and the glistening sun will become a frantic scramble to make it out the door to the airport in time. But, then, while running through the airport to the terminal, you thought, “wait a minute, did I -?” Nothing could be worse than doubting if you turned off the oven or locked your front door before leaving for a week-long getaway. Unfortunately, we can’t send Kevin McCallister to watch over your home while you’re away. But we have five tips on keeping your home safe while you’re away.
- Smart lights and Motion Lights
One of the best ways to deter intruders is to ensure your house is well lit. And while you might feel inclined to leave your lights on the whole time you’re away, a more practical solution is to try and replicate the lights as if you were at home. For example, keeping outdoor lights on at night and not during the day or using a smart switch to turn on the kitchen and study light during the day and the bedroom light for the evening. Another great way to scare away an intruder is through motion lights.
- Outdoor camera
Outdoor cameras make it easy to keep an eye on your phone from afar. While just having a security camera set up outside might be enough to scare off intruders, you can store the video data as a cloud recording if you catch someone snooping.
- Environment Detectors
Outfitting your home with leak, smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors is crucial. They not only help keep you safe while at home, but they also keep your home safe while you’re on the road. When your detectors are set up with a live monitoring service, you can receive notifications when something out of the ordinary happens. You can monitor firmware and battery life to keep your home as safe as possible.
- Schedule Your Vacation
One of the beautiful things about an abundance of smart home technology is being able to program devices the way you want. For example, you can link devices to your Google calendar, and it will automate your thermostat and other devices to be put in vacation mode while you’re away. Now you don’t have to run around and change all of the thermostats in the house!
- Invest in a Backup Power Source
Without power, the solutions we mentioned are irrelevant. Not only are you unable to utilize your smart automation tools, but your fridges also threaten to spoil the food you left behind, and pipes can freeze or burst. Investing in a backup generator can help ensure the house can function while you’re away and is easy to install.
And above all else, it never hurts to keep the human element in your home security plan. Whether giving your neighbor a spare house key or the door code or sharing your camera feed with one or two trusted friends, you can make sure your home is as safe as possible while you’re away.
Here at Ficrest, we aim to provide you with home automation services that meet your needs and keep you safe. If you are interested in finding out how we can help transform your phone, contact us today!