Most of us are somewhat aware of the smart home and how it can make our lives easier, but what about the outside of our homes? The truth is securing and monitoring our gardens is a bit of an afterthought if it’s thought about at all. Would it surprise you to know that making the outside of your home safe and secure is a pretty simple thing with just a couple of minor changes and some relatively inexpensive tech? It’s true and we’re going to show you how to do it even if you’re on a tight budget.
Ring My Bell
One of the coolest and easiest things you can do to enhance and secure the outside of your home is to install a video camera doorbell such as the Ring Video Doorbell. This Wi-Fi enabled device automatically sends notifications to your smartphone whenever someone rings your bell. You can see them via your phones camera and talk to them over a built-in intercom as well – even if you’re on the other side of the world. It also has a motion sensor that can trigger an alert if they don’t ring the bell and let’s face it unwanted intruders won’t always cooperate and ring the bell.
These video camera doorbells can make the front of your home extremely secure. Some intruders will ring the bell to try and find out if anyone’s home and when you answer they’ll move along pretty quickly. For those intruders you catch with the motion sensor technology you can quickly alert the authorities so that they can catch them in the act. It’s nice to have this extra peace of mind while you’re away.
Light it Up
It would be nice if all unwanted visitors simply stepped up to your front door so you could deal with them using the Ring Video Doorbell, but things don’t always unfold that way. There’s a good chance a burglar will attempt to enter your home from the rear at night when they expect it to be shrouded in darkness. The cover of night allows them to slip in and out unseen or they may just simply want to ransack your garden shed for some valuable tools.
Motion sensor solar lighting, such as Hallomall 44LED Solar Outdoor Motion Lights, are ideal for handling this type of problem. The minute anyone walks in front of them they illuminate the area. The burglar may realize they’re motion sensor lights, but they’ve now lost the element of surprise and they don’t tend to like working in plain sight of any watching neighbours. There’s a good chance they’ll move on and try and find an easier house to prey on.
Additional to your considerable improved outdoor security, they can allow you appreciate your outdoor dining areas regardless of what time of day.
Technology Can be Subtle
If you’d prefer to go with motion sensor lights that can actually enhance the outside décor of your home as well, the Kuna Smart Home Security Outdoor Light and Camera is a great option. This traditional looking device turns on the light automatically when it senses motion and it has a built-in camera and intercom system to boot. Similar to the Ring Video Doorbell, it can send alerts to your phone as soon as motion is detected. You can watch a live stream video of the area in front of the light and you can record video as well. These are great for the backdoor where you don’t typically have a doorbell installed, but you can install one in the front as well if you like.
A Phone and a Fence
Perhaps the simplest way to protect your property these days is to setup a geo fencing system. There are a whole host of different apps you can use to do this and the concept is pretty simple. You can set up an app to recognize what your home area is using GPS based technology. The minute your smartphone leaves that area the app can alert you and remind you to set your alarm if you forgot to do so. When used in conjunction with an alarm system that allows you app based access to your home security system this can be very useful. Some security systems such as Alarm.com even have their own app that offers this type of system in an all-in-one package.
Smart, Secure, and Some Peace of Mind
While these are some pretty simple and exciting ways you can use technology to make the outside of your home almost as secure as the inside they’re likely just the tip of the iceberg. Smart technology is changing and evolving rapidly these days and it will be fun to see what they come up with next. The future certainly looks bright and that’s great for home owners, but not so great for unwanted guests.
This is a guest post by Joseph Mack from smarthomeSAGE, a blog that analyzes the impact that smart home technology has on home life.
