The most common home security mistakes made are simply a result of human error. Isn’t that the point of technology? To make up for what we can’t always handle on our own? You don’t want to end up being one of those paranoid homeowners, never leaving the house and obsessing over keeping it protected. By installing even minimal smart home technology, you can rid yourself of those often very valid fears and worries.
- Windows. Do you consistently close the blinds when you leave the house? Go to sleep? Even just leave a room? Your answer is probably along the lines of, “Sure, if I think about it…” Anytime your blinds are open for an extended period, especially with lights on in the evening, you’re giving potential burglars a literal picture into your home. They now know the layout of that room and even have an idea of what purpose it serves and what valuables might reside there. Installing automatic shades gives you the option have them open/close on an occupancy sensor, as well as obviously being able to control them from your phone, wherever you may be. Setting up a bedtime routine so that all blinds close at a certain time wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
- Doors. Along those same lines lies the issue of forgetting to lock all doors. It can be a habit to lock whatever door you are regularly entering/exiting from, but what about the garage, the back door, or the one off of your bedroom? This can be difficult to keep track of, especially if you are not the only member of your household! Smart locks not only allow you to lock doors from your mobile location but also eliminate the need to hide keys in obscure (or not so obscure) places. You can set time-sensitive codes for the neighbor letting your dog out, or whoever you might want to *temporarily* give access to your home.
- Lights. The thing about lights is you don’t want to leave them on unnecessarily…but what if you’re traveling for an extended period of time? Even for a simple weekend trip, it can be very obvious very quickly that someone is not home. As opposed to leaving certain lights on the entire duration of your trip, (which might end up being equally as obvious as leaving them off) set them on a timer to turn on at the times you normally would yourself. Mimicking the habits you perform on a regular basis, (including lights AND window shades) gives the illusion that you are home, still in full control of your technology.
- Cameras. Last but not least, remember that you don’t want to ever try and hide whatever surveillance cameras you might have. The sooner a potential burglar sees a camera, the sooner they start to doubt your home being the best culprit.