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Home Security Upgrades You Can Do During COVID-19

By Tanya Svoboda
April 2020

Safety is on everyone’s mind these days. As the spread of COVID-19 continues to change the way we use our homes, we are challenged to find better ways to keep our home and family healthy and safe. For many homeowners, meeting that challenge means increasing their home’s security.

Adding Value With DIY Home Security

Christian Cerda, the CEO of the home security system SimpliSafe told WAFF that “when more cities and regions started to go on lockdown and the news of the COVID-19 virus became more severe, we saw a significant uptick in our sales, all the way up to 86%.”

However, purchasing a professionally installed home security during a pandemic, a time when you’re looking to avoid outside workers and service people, may not be realistic. An alternative choice is to utilize smart devices to increase the safety of your home. An option that will still be an investment in your home’s future value. According to a study conducted by ADT, “65% of homebuyers are willing to pay more for properties equipped with smart technology

Video Doorbells for Surveillance

Video doorbells allow you to see who is at your door while maintaining appropriate social distancing protocol. They are also a great way to survey the exterior of your home. With schools closed and more people working from home, there is an influx of people in most neighborhoods during times that, until recently, would have been pretty quiet. A video doorbell is like an extra set of eyes monitoring your home 24/7.

Products like Ring Doorbell Pro offer features that include motion-activated alerts, alerts when your doorbell has been rung, and two-way intercoms.  The intercom lets you speak with delivery people, utility workers, or even neighbors without putting you or your family at risk.

Smart Locks to Secure Doors

While many of us are in total lockdown, essential workers are still leaving their homes every day. Even non-essential workers may have to leave home for trips to the grocery store. Smart locks are a great way to reduce your contact with frequently touched surfaces in your home while upgrading your home’s lock systems.

In the article DIY Smart Home: 3 Easy Ways to Turn Any Home Into a Smart Home, it’s noted that products like the Kevo smart lock offer options for entering your home with less physical contact. “Kevo smart lock has all the common smart lock features like remote monitoring and granting access from your phone, but it also features touch-to-open technology so there’s no need to fumble around for keys. All it takes is just the touch of a finger to lock or unlock a Kevo smart lock, just as long as your smartphone is nearby.”

Smart Hubs for Senior Safety

The security of elderly family members who live at home alone is especially important. Smart hubs, like Amazon Echo, are a great choice for high-risk, older family members. If your senior family member is not tech-savvy, Amazon does offer phone support to walk them through installation and features.

Below are a few useful features.

  • Medication reminders can be set by seniors or caretakers with access to the account.
  • Add on services like Ask My Buddy and My SOS Family can send alerts to designated contacts when help is needed.
  • Alexa can connect directly to a landline so that calling 911 with a voice command is possible.
  • Enabling the Night Light skill allows seniors to say “Alexa open night light” to illuminate their path in the dark.

The suggestions listed in this article are just a few ways you can use smart technology to DIY your home, or your senior family member’s home, during shelter-in-place. If these options aren’t affordable right now, there are still ways to keep your house secure. Things like making it a habit to check your door and window locks at night go a long way.


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