Holiday Traveling Is Fun But Let’s Keep Home Safe:
While taking a holiday vacation may be a great way to spend the holidays with family and friends, research says that planning and anticipating your trip can actually make you happier than taking it.
That’s right: late nights researching vacation activities, planning holiday gifts and fun, scrolling on social media for dining options and even shopping for a new wardrobe – are all contributing to that anticipatory happiness.
Looking to extend that blissful, peace of mind? One thing that should be on that trip to-do list is considering the security of your home while you’re away.
What Burglars Look For:
Burglars look for three things: low risk, ease of entry and opportunity.
For example, if they look through your back sliding door and see an iPad on your kitchen table, they then look for the easiest way to gain entry. If the door is unlocked, it’s a quick grab-and-go by the burglar. If the door is locked, they look for something close to use to break the glass – like a flowerpot, a patio chair or even landscaping pavers.
Here are some tips to consider before your vacation:
- Never leave valuable items in the line of sight from outside the home.
- Always lock doors and windows and always close curtains or blinds.
- Never leave a spare key under a doormat or in a planter.
- Ensure your yard and landscaping are maintained to help make the home look lived in.
- Forward your mail for longer trips – or ask a neighbor to bring it in.
- Arm your security system and alert your Central Monitoring Station of any travel plans because in the event of an actual alarm, they can provide responding authorities with this information.
What To Consider for a Security System:
Security and home automation are essential for owners who want to stay connected to their investments when traveling. Resideo’s ProSeries Security and Smart Home Platform can help.
For the savvy traveler that wants to enhance home security when they are away, asking yourself these five questions, which can help you select the security system that is right for you.
Does the system’s app allow for easy camera viewing or camera-triggered alerts?
Not all apps and cameras are created equal. You can look in on your home via cameras using Resideo’s Total Connect App. You can position the cameras in a way that can see the status of your lawn care, the water level of the pool, and any mail accumulating outside the front door.
Do you want your security system to help save energy?
Home automation and energy consumption are two key trends emerging in the home security space as the smart home becomes more mainstream. Homeowners want a system that offers the ability to control lighting to ensure the home looks occupied and to also time interior and exterior lights to save energy. Connected thermostats are another way you can keep an eye on your home while managing energy consumption. A Honeywell Home smart thermostat with Resideo Energy Care can learn how your home reacts to changes in weather, and can automatically adjust your temperature to optimize comfort – whether you’re home or away.
Do you want an awareness system or one that takes action for you?
In an emergency, seconds make a difference. With professional monitoring, dispatchers are trained to manage the alarm process: from receiving the signal, verification of the alarm and when needed, dispatching the authorities. With the new ProSeries Indoor MotionViewer, homeowners can view a video clip to check on an alarm and help prevent false dispatches. The MotionViewers are perfect for those who travel because they provide valuable images and really make a difference in false dispatch reduction.
Does the security system integrate with my existing smart solutions?
The ProSeries Platform is a game changer because of its ability to connect to other Z-wave solutions – like locks, lights and garage doors.
What is the safety of your home and family worth?
DIY systems can give you false sense of security. The benefits of professional monitoring are especially important when you are away from home. For example, if you are on a flight traveling to your vacation and your DIY system is triggered, what happens? How are you going to call the police from 40,000 feet? Do you even know what number you would call once you leave home?
Need Help Protecting Your Home?
Give us a call at 1-434-799-7900, email us at info@securityalliance.net or come by and visit us at 763 Piney Forest Road in Danville, Virgnia!
We would love to help you keep your home safe!
