Finding the Best Home Security System for a Vacant House

Your home, and any property left in your care, is both an asset and a responsibility. Homeowner equity grew $7.7 trillion from 2020 through 2022. With the rapidly increasing valuation of properties, doing what you can to protect that asset while not actively in use can help safeguard you against unexpected loss.

There are several reasons why a property may go unoccupied. Half of unoccupied properties are seasonal units, intended for occasional use, but many life events can result in a vacancy. Common circumstances include when a loved one enters assisted living, when a property is between renters or awaiting new buyers, and during renovations. Whatever the reason, equipping your vacant property with a home security system is always a wise investment.

What Owners of Vacant Properties Need in a Security System

Selecting a suitable security system for your vacant property should be based on what risks the property faces. A property that is vacant for any reason has a higher risk of attracting burglars, squatters, and vandals. There are benefits to keeping the appearance that the house is occupied when it is not. Doing so can be more effective than just keeping the property maintained.

Smart Home Devices

A home security system that pairs with smart home automation can be remotely controlled, manually activated, or placed on a schedule to turn on lights and sound.

A smart home-capable security system should connect to a smart light bulb connected to a standard light bulb outlet. This will allow you to control the lights by using your security system to turn the lights on or off. Illuminating the interior, even briefly each night, is vastly superior to leaving the home in perpetual darkness. Lighting in your home both helps make the home look occupied and allows better visibility if someone is lurking on the property.

Like timed or triggered lights, smart switches can replace most standard power outlets, allowing you to also activate almost any electronic device. A radio, for example, can supply ambient noise, further creating the appearance that someone is present.

Security Cameras

Unless you intend to visit the property on a regular basis location on a regular basis, home security cameras are greatly beneficial for periodic check-ins. Pairing your home security system with an indoor camera will allow you to immediately check in on the property to confirm its status. Furthermore, indoor cameras can be configured as motion detectors which capture recorded clips of activity should a break-in occur.

Outdoor cameras can also be configured as motion detectors, and those can be paired with automation actions, such as turning on a porch light when someone approaches the front door. A feature known as Perimeter Guard can engage a loud whistle, flashing lights, and rapid beeping to scare away an intruder and call attention to their activities. Outdoor cameras can be equipped with analytics that can differentiate between people, animals, and vehicles approaching. This way, you can be notified immediately or engage recordings only for specific threats, such as a person walking on the property.

Video doorbells can both alert you to visitors and let you communicate with them. Modern video doorbells include microphones and speakers, allowing two-way communication through a Wi-Fi network. With an integrated camera, you should also see the visitor addressing you.

Having video cameras equipped on your property is also a great idea for deterring crime attempts as well as capturing evidence if anything happens. With modern technology, clips are uploaded to the cloud which can be retrieved from anywhere you can get the internet. This negates having to manage physical video storage onsite.

Security Devices

Door and window sensors can be installed at potential points of entry, triggering an alarm countdown that might deter less confident trespassers. The best door and window sensors can connect wirelessly to your home security panel, making installation easy. This is also a practical way of protecting your property’s perimeter since you don’t need screws to mount the devices. They’re easy to move if a future occupant doesn’t want them, but if an intruder tries to remove them, the sensors are equipped with a tamper alarm.

Glassbreak sensors can detect a broken window, which might be an attempt to enter the property, bypassing the open window sensor. Also, motion detectors can be installed in rooms to detect any motion within its field of view.

Life Safety Devices and Environmental Sensors

There are life safety devices, including smoke detectors, that, when connected to a security system, can alert you to a potential hazard; another variety of this is a firefighter device, which will alert you if it detects the loud audible siren of smoke detectors not connected directly to the security system.

Besides fire, hazards that can damage or destroy the house can include floods. If temperatures reach freezing, particularly where pipes run through exterior walls, there is a potential for water lines to burst due to the expansion of freezing water within the pipes. There are freeze sensors that can be equipped to watch this condition, and there are flood sensors that can help to detect the aftermath of a burst pipe, as well as water damage from any other cause.

Security Panels

A security panel ties the system and its various equipment together and connects them to the internet via a Wi-Fi or cellular signal, through which a professional monitoring company can respond to alarms and forward notifications to you remotely as to what is happening on your property. Select a security panel that accommodates the variety of devices needed, supports an adequate quantity of devices, and has a strong enough signal to cover the entirety of the property. Also, the security panel enables remote control over all your devices using integrated software that lets you work with it using a mobile app.

Why Owners of Vacant Homes Need a Security System

Vacant buildings are more likely to become prey for vandals and other criminals. Having a security system will make for a much more difficult target.

Using deterrent methods such as activating lights and sound, recording activities on or around your property, and securing the perimeter from intrusion, will reduce the appearance that your property is an easy target.

You can also advertise that your property is equipped with a home security system by using yard signs and window decals, which can be provided by a professional monitoring company.

Professional Monitoring

A professionally monitored home security system has an added layer of protection that can help deter burglars and provide you with a direct way to contact security enforcement. If an emergency is confirmed, a professional monitoring company will dispatch first responders. Professionally monitored companies should also be able to help you find the best system for your needs and work with you through the entire process, from selecting the system to installation, ongoing alarm monitoring, technical and customer support, and providing you with the software you need to connect with your system via an app on your smartphone.

Tips for Finding the Best Home Security System for Vacant Homes

Design your system to work for your specific property’s needs. Choose a system that will interact with all current and future devices needed and effectively notify local authorities in an emergency. Discussing these needs with a professional monitoring company can give you powerful insight into which system is best for you. Contact Brinks Home™ to speak with a Security Consultant who can start building your new home security system today.