How to Find the Best Home Security System for Your Vacation Home

Vacation homes can provide a peaceful retreat—a home away from home that you can get excited to visit each year. You may regard your vacation home as an unlikely target when unoccupied, but buying a dedicated home security system for your vacant property is a worthwhile investment.

Vacant housing, such as an out-of-season vacation home, is open to being a target of vandalism, squatters, and burglary. When upkeep is neglected or the home is left unprotected, crimes of opportunity increase because the property may appear not to belong to anyone.

What Vacation Homeowners Should Look for in a Security System

Protection for a vacation home while not in use is similar to steps you should take for a vacant house, such as your primary home will be while you are away on vacation.

24/7 Professional Monitored Home Security System

Having a professionally monitored home security system onsite can provide you with peace of mind knowing that local services can be dispatched in case of an emergency, likely well before you would have even known of an occurrence without one.

Professional Installation

Having professional installation performed when you set up a home security system is a great way ensure an experienced technician accounts for any potential vulnerabilities, perfects your home’s unique vantage points, and thoroughly tests the signal strength for all equipment and for outgoing system communications to you and your security monitoring company.

Equipment Capacity, Compatibility, and Capability

The best security system for a vacation home accommodates the same suite of security equipment as your primary residence. Even if the benefit of integrating certain equipment is not clear, you may wish to add on to your system after first installation or while the vacation home is occupied.

If you happen to use your vacation home as a rental, your security system should also accommodate temporary smart lock codes allowing initial entry and disarm codes to disarm the security system which can be provided to the individual renter and deactivated upon checkout.

Ongoing Support

There are few things more frustrating than diagnosing complex system issues, but it is even more challenging to do so alone from a remote location. It is recommended that you get ongoing help from a support representative at the security company with which you do business.

Why You Need a Security System for Your Vacation House

While checking on your property remotely can help relieve concerns you might have as to the status of the property, often concerning yourself with property at a remote location can be its own stressor which may reduce the benefit of owning a vacation home in the first place.

Smart Phone Integration

A home security system should work with your smartphone via an app. This allows you the ability to set up notifications and alerts, which allows random check-ins to be greatly reduced. If you feel the need to visually inspect the property while you are far away, security cameras added to your system can be used to view your property.

Perimeter Protection

Door and window sensors ensure all points of entry remain securely closed. A well-guarded perimeter will protect from intrusion and dispel any perception that the property is abandoned. Good add-ons for security include interior motion detectors and glassbreak detectors, which are good if perimeter defenses are somehow sidestepped.

Environmental Sensors

Environmental sensors that can help detect smoke, floods, or freezing temperatures, all of which can supply immediate warnings of conditions that can pose a risk of significant property loss, are highly recommended to ensure there are no surprises when you return to the property or while you’re away. Carbon monoxide detectors are also a great addition to ensure the safest environment upon arrival and throughout your vacation.

Cameras

Integrated security cameras can allow you to visually inspect your property. Some cameras, especially video doorbells, can allow you to respond to visitors through two-way communication when paired with a smartphone app. Cameras can also prove useful in capturing evidence should anything occur on the property.

Smart Home and Automation

Smart home integrations, such as smart doorlocks, can be used to remotely grant access to visitors, such as a cleaning service or food delivery in advance of using your vacation home, which is a fantastic way to end a long trip to your relaxing destination.

Smart thermostats can also be adjusted while you are enroute. Comfortable temperatures can be kept by a schedule, and these can also be activated by a geofence that detects your approach to your property. These can also be used to support a minimum safe temperature while you are away to prevent freezing.

Integrating smart lights or a smart switch connected to something like a radio can also be used to project an image that the property is in use, reducing the appearance of its vacancy and potentially lowering the attraction to potential bad actors.

Tips for Finding the Best Security System for a Vacation Home

Working with a professional security company that provides 24/7 monitoring and offers professional installation is the most surefire way to select the best security system for your vacation home. In addition to offering highly versatile home security systems for this express purpose, Brinks Home™ offers a catalog of high-tech, economically sound add-ons that encompass all the features described in this article.

Contact us today to work with a Security Consultant who can answer all questions you may have related to equipment, installation, 24/7 monitoring, and ongoing support.