Sunday, September 11, 2016

Home Automation Checklist for Travelers

Traveling is definitely a chance to unwind and get a break from your usual routine back home. You are sure to be very excited about it and maybe, the planning of itinerary took months of time. The anticipation of strolling on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea, a wildlife safari, or an adventurous mountain trek, would definitely be sweeping you off the floors and taking you to the seventh cloud. However, this overwhelming joy may also let you overlook the necessary measures to be taken to keep your abode safe and sound before you step out of the door.

Coming back from a wonderful journey to find that your home has recently been broken into would surely be one of the most distressing sites. And, we don’t want you to witness something of this sort. So, we are here to save you from all the worries about what could possibly go wrong at home while you’re not there. So, we have penned down a checklist to ensure that you have the best vacation while you wrap things that matter the most in an unbreakable security layer.

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1. Set your home to ‘Auto’!

Slipped from your mind to lock the back door? Oh! The lights, you left them on again! Do you have the habit of forgetting something on the list every time you step out of the door? If you said yes, then home automation would be the best thing that could ever happen to curb the consequences of such habits.

Home automation is not just about switching things on and off from a remote device. Perhaps, it is a blessing for the frequent travelers. It allows you to put your home on the ‘most efficient’ mode by adjusting things like ambient temperatures at home, setting the sensitivity of motion sensors, optimizing the lights to save up on energy, etc. Thus, you can optimize the things that you want to monitor and adjust settings for individual devices.

2. Get ‘smart’ with Devices!

Smart technology can really do a lot of work when it comes to shielding your abode. These smart devices range from full-fledged home security systems to automated thermostats. When you have everything under control back at home, you can really make your upcoming vacation the best out of all.

Some devices that you’d need for your dwelling are:

  • Smart Locks – Lock the ones you forgot through the device using a wireless protocol.
  • Smart Light Bulbs – Program your lights on and off to tell burglars that you’re still in there.
  • Smart Doorbell – Get notified about who is ringing your bell when you’re not at home.
  • Smart Garage Door – Let it tell you loud ‘You left me open, please shut me down’.
  • Smart Thermostats – Always get just the right temperature, never too high or never too low.
  • Water Sensors – Instant alerts for potential leaks and tells you that it’s time to call the plumber.
  • Smoke and Heat Detectors – Never lets you get too late to call the fire department.

3. Install Security Systems!

You can always ask your neighbors and friends to keep an eye on your home when you’d be out traveling. But, can they be around 24/7? No, they cannot! The easiest solution for this is to invest in a complete surveillance system. A thumb rule for the ones who like to travel a lot is that while buying a security system, include night vision cameras. So, there would be someone guarding your lovely home at all the times, day and night.

4. Always Stay in Touch!

Some things can be handled at initial stages and prevent you from harsh consequences. No matter whether you are around the block or around the world, you can always get benefited from Remote Monitoring.  Your smart phone would serve as a remote control and you can monitor each and every nook and corner of your home from any far away location.

5. Keep your ‘Network’ Secure!

Just having all the gadgets at your disposal is not enough. You need to learn how to use them in the most efficient manner.  This should start at the time of purchase of the device only. You need to apprehend the safety and security issues of each device thoroughly as these can vary greatly for different manufacturers and products.

For instance, wireless devices may be vulnerable to data loss and interruption. Thus, passwords and codes are the first line of defense for wireless gadgets. You should change all the default passwords for your security camera systems, DVR recorders and other surveillance equipment as soon as you buy them and keep updating the passwords from time to time. Keeping such things in mind will keep you protected from any unwanted access!

We may all have a great experience with our trip and learn a lot of new things, but there is nothing like coming back home to find it just the way you had left it. So, before booking your next trip, keep these checkpoints in mind. A little effort of finding quality home automation solutions could save you from the disaster of a burglary and vandalism.



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