These Smart Home Devices Will Keep Your Stuff Safe While You’re Away

Source: Lifehacker, Amanda Blum
Photo: Halfpoint/Shutterstock

If you like your stuff but still want to go on vacation, smart tech can help keep your trip anxiety-free.

When I was younger, security wasn’t much of a concern for me; I figured if someone wanted my secondhand dining table badly enough that they’d break in, they deserved it. Now, my home requires as much preparation for vacation as I do; I want to ensure the packages don’t stack up at the door, the house doesn’t flood, and everything is moderately safe. This is what smart tech was built for. With a bevy of devices, you can make it easier for caregivers to check in on your home, pets and plants, but also protect you from fire, floods and break-ins and, finally, alleviate your anxiety.

Smart cameras

The ability to actually see who is coming and going from your home is the ultimate anxiety buster. While it would be great if cameras deterred theft, they’re less likely to prevent it than help you with clues and evidence after. What cameras can do is help you check in on your pets, make sure caregivers are showing up, and if they’re in the house or yard. Cameras can allow you to zero in on plants indoors or out and make sure they’re okay (if you’re that kind of person—and I am). More importantly, cameras can tell you when there are packages sitting in front of your house, a “come hither” sign for theft. They also allow you to interact with people who ring the doorbell, further helping with the notion the house isn’t unattended. Even if you feel sketchy about cameras in your home while you’re there, you might consider hauling them out when you go out of town. I like being able to check on my dog when i’m not home. When it comes to smart cameras, I am something of a loyalist to these Eufy cams.

Smart locks

How many neighbors have your house keys? How often have they been lost, or has a neighbor had trouble using one? A smart lock solves all those issues. You can remotely issue codes for people, and have them specific to each person so you know who is getting in. You can cancel a code whenever you want. You can double check that the door is locked at any time. Smart locks have batteries, so if you’re worried about a loss of wi-fi affecting the ability to get in, don’t.

Smart lights

Most thieves know that the lights in your home are not always an indicator someone is home, and yet, simply illuminating spaces makes it harder for people to break in. Flood lights are particularly helpful outside. Using lights on a schedule is going to make it seem like there is a presence in the home, and motion-activated lights on your smart cameras or on their own are doing to help as well. If you have pets, the ability to turn lights on and off means that your pets aren’t in darkness at night, and lots of animals use the lights on/off routine as a clue that it’s time to get up or go to bed.

Smart thermostats

With a smart thermostat, you can adjust it from the airport, so that when you get home, your house is at a reasonably comfortable temperature and you haven’t wasted energy while you were away. But there are more reasons: If you have pets, the heat or A/C not working can be seriously dangerous. Even without pets, you can get a unit fixed while you’re away, rather than wait to get home and suffer. Thermostats don’t have to be for affecting indoor climate units, either. You can use a certain temperature or humidity threshold to activate other smart objects. If humidity skyrockets, turn on a dehumidifier. If the temperatures soar, ask the dog sitter to check water bowls more often. If there’s a freeze, get someone to ice the sidewalk, etc.

Water leak detectors and shut-off valves

At some point, your water heater is going to die, and the only way you’ll know is when it floods the room it’s in. A water leak detector can tell you immediately if that happens, which allows you to send someone over. Similarly, it can tell you if water is coming in during a storm, or a plant drain isn’t working, or your sink is leaking. They’re cheap enough that it’s worth it to stick them any place a problem can occur. Still, knowing there’s a problem is only so helpful, since you need someone to deal with it. A smart shut-off valve is the killer hardware here, since it monitors water flow and can sense when to shut off the water on its own, or be activated through the app to shut off. Combine these two smart devices and you’ve got a powerful mitigation kit for flooding or expensive water leaks.

Smart smoke detectors

Every house must have working smoke detectors; all a smart smoke detector has over a traditional model is the ability to alert you while away. Chances are, the fire department is going to beat anyone you call and send over to the scene. But information is always helpful in understanding what’s happening at home. Some of these detectors are also carbon monoxide monitors, and if you have pets, knowing this information could be critical.

Every house is different—what you can do to monitor home systems or maintain needs is likely specialized to your family. If you have a pool, monitoring devices and cleaning robots can ensure it’s maintained. Presence sensors can tell you exactly when pets or people enter or leave a space. There are hundreds of smart sensors available and each can be used any way your creativity allows to monitor and alert you.

https://lifehacker.com/tech/these-smart-home-devices-keep-stuff-safe-while-on-vacation