Choosing the best home security package is a matter of working with an established home security system company that offers a wide range of security products, expert installation, and 24/7 monitoring. A security system technician can come to your home to examine your home’s square footage, the number of windows and doors you have, if there are any obstacles that will block video surveillance, and a wide range of other details that will go into designing the perfect system for you, your family, and your home.
Some of the elements you may want to consider as part of your smart home security package include:
–Smart Doorbells– Smart doorbells provide live video feed of the world as it passes by your home or anyone who approaches your front door. The video is also recorded to capture things that may happen on the street in front of your home that could be helpful to the police when investigating any problems that may occur in your neighborhood. What makes these doorbells “smart” is that you can watch the live feeds from your smartphone or tablet, even when you aren’t home. Another smart feature is that it has a two-way communication feature so you can talk to people at your door remotely.
–Smart Door Locks– Smart door locks can also be accessed from your smartphone or a control panel in your house when locking your home up before bed or before you leave for the day. Used in conjunction with smart doorbells, you can use your smart door features to identify who is at the door, communicate with them, and unlock the door remotely so packages can be delivered inside your home (and aren’t sitting out on your steps for porch pirates) or so you can let in service people without needing to take time off from work or other activities. When the visitor is gone, you can relock the door behind them.
–Sensors– Sensors can be used on windows, doors, gates, your garage door, or anything else that can be an access point to your property or home. They consist of two contacts that, when separated by opening a window or door, trigger an alarm to sound. There are other sensors that can detect if a window has been broken or if there is movement in your home that shouldn’t be there (motion sensors).
–Video Cameras-Video cameras can be placed both inside and outside of your home to provide 24-hour surveillance. The video can be stored and your cameras can immediately alert you if unrecognized motion is detected, so you can watch visuals in real time. This can help you determine if an animal has accidentally wandered onto your property or if there is actually a serious security threat.
–Other Smart Features– Your security system can also be connected to your home’s lighting, thermostat, and smart locks. You can activate each of these individually or create a “scene” that turns off the lights, changes the temperature setting, and locks the doors when you are going to bed or leaving for the day, all with the touch of one button. These features can be activated from a control panel in your home, from your smartphone or tablet, or even by voice-activated assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Microsoft’s Cortana.
-Monitoring-The final factor in a truly great security system is 24/7 monitoring by an offsite company. Monitoring professionals can be alerted if a security alarm is triggered and if smoke, fire, or water damage is detected. They can then contact you to verify if the event is real or a harmless accident, and they can alert the proper authorities so emergency services can be swiftly dispatched to your home.
The bottom line is what makes up the “best” home security package is what’s most important to you. Choose a reliable company with a good history and get a consultation.