Smart Video Doorbell

Since 34 percent of burglars enter through the front door regardless of the lock, the first step to controlling your home while you're gone starts with your front porch. With a smart video doorbell featuring motion detection, you'll know exactly when someone is approaching the door — even if they haven't rung the doorbell.

Most smart video doorbells have a built-in microphone and intercom, allowing you to communicate with whoever approaches your front door no matter where you are. Add-in smart automation triggers like making your porch lights turn on whenever motion is detected and deterring burglars or porch pirates are much more manageable.

Smart Locks

One sure-fire sign that no one is home is a pile of packages on the front porch — but a smart lock with personalized codes and remote locking capabilities is just what you need. With a unique guest code, you can have a trusted neighbor, house-sitter, or relative come by to place your packages inside and have the system automatically lock when they leave.

And if you have a smart doorbell, you can even direct the delivery person to leave your packages inside with the built-in speaker and lock the door remotely when they leave. But if you don't trust people in your home, you can direct your deliveries to be placed in your garage using your smart doorbell and smart garage door opener.

Pro Tip: If you are directing a delivery, do not mention that you're on vacation; simply say you can't come to the door.

In Plain Sight

The perfect hiding spot for your smaller devices is sometimes in plain sight. Places like baskets, shelves, or even plants can hide small devices like voice-activated assistants or speakers. Keep your gadget in a stylish woven basket, and place a small plant next to it to conceal the device further. You can also hide them behind pictures or items on shelves, same with other small equipment. You could even disguise wires behind a curtain. Get crafty! You may already know of a great spot!

Opt for an Entertainment Center

Television cables are one of the most noticeable places that could do with a clever cover-up. They tend to sit in the center of the living room and become a point of focus to you and potential guests. Luckily, you can hide television cables easily with an entertainment center. These tend to have many more storage options and configurations than a TV stand or media console, making them a great spot to store your speakers, projector, gaming system, or other media equipment. They can also add a decorative touch to your design style and be a nice spot to showcase your décor items.

Build It In

There are a lot of home tech items that can be built into the design of your home and make it easier to blend them into your design. Invisible speakers can be installed in the walls or ceilings and then plastered over—no one will ever suspect that an amazing sound system hides behind your wall!

If you prefer a projector over a tv, disguise it behind the back wall of your living room or construct a discreet lift that allows the projector to disappear into the ceiling when not in use.

Match Your Gadgets to Your Space

If you have prior experience furnishing a room, you know working with a limited color palette can help make a space appear more spacious. While overly colored interiors can tend to feel cluttered.

What is an Integrator?

Smart home integrators are sub-contractors that are experts in the field of smart home automation. Smart-home integrators are required in order to create a smart-home system that can match a homeowner’s expectations for technology that works consistently and without constant adjusting. You can pay an integrator to design and install smart-home systems that take a house to the next level of technology, much like you can hire an electrician to wire your home or an HVAC specialist to design and install heating and cooling systems. The right integrator will help you map out all your needs and align them with all the stakeholders’ goals like an architect, interior designer, electrical consultant, etc.

Enhanced Network Security

Each gadget you add to your house, particularly those with remote access, creates a new network port. Integrators not only strengthen your overall network security by including firewalls and encryption solutions during your automation installation, but they also collaborate with trusted manufacturers who have proven security protocols. They will also be able to consolidate remote features onto a single system, reducing the number of access points for cyber-attacks.

Some professional integrators even offer remote monitoring software to help maintain your home’s network health and performance. If a glitch in the network or a security breach is identified, your smart home professional can notify you of the issue, and they can often fix the issue remotely before you even notice there is a problem or any of your data has been compromised.

More Efficiency

If you simply want one aspect of a smart home system like whole-house audio, installing that project on your own could take a really long time. Trying to do a more comprehensive, personalized system that includes security cameras, motorized shades, outdoor entertainment, climate control, and lighting will be a multi-month DIY project. On the other hand, a professional integrator knows how to build your smart home more quickly and precisely. They’ll do it right the first time, and you’ll be pleased you’re not flicking through an instruction booklet in annoyance. They’ll also ensure that you don’t have too many problems down the line – and if you do, they’ll be on call to come back and help out. When you work with a qualified professional, you’re never left on your own.

Automation Expertise

An integrator’s benefits don’t just stop in the home. They can also help set up your office building’s automation better than your IT department could. Much like in the connected home space, office technology is ideal for serving as the core for your business and building systems. An integrator can help program your system to know when the building is occupied, who is in the building, and control lighting and door access, among other items. And if security is a concern, your integrator can work with your IT to setup up a secured network that can be accessed by your staff yet is still serviceable by the integrator for possible future updates.

Self-Monitoring vs. Professional Monitoring

Before we dive into why you should get a home security system, first, you'll need to decide whether you want to monitor the system yourself or pay extra for a professional service. While self-monitoring is cheaper, you won't be able to monitor your system 24 hours a day actively — it's too easy to miss something, especially if you're sleeping.

With professional monitoring, the service works round the clock and constantly keeps track of your home's alerts. If an emergency does occur, these trained professionals know exactly how to respond, including which emergency service to contact. And since these alerts come from a professional source, the emergency response times are faster.

Bye Bye, Burglars

Of course, one of the main reasons to get a home security system is if you're worried about a burglary. But did you know that burglars are less likely to invade your home when there are obvious signs of a security system, like yard signs, outdoor cameras, etc.?

Eighty-three percent of burglars look for signs you have an alarm, and over half say they will give up their plans when they see one. And if they do attempt to enter your home, with security motion sensors on the windows and doors, you'll know the instant someone tries.

Pro Tip: For an even more significant burglary deterrent, tie in bright lights and loud alarms whenever a security alert goes off.