Automating Your Florida Home for Security and Safety

Automating Your Florida Home for Security and Safety

For Florida homeowners, the timing has never been better to consider home automation for safety and security. A smart home can help keep intruders out, increase energy efficiency, and even alert you if something is wrong when you are at work or on vacation.

A home automation plan should take into account your daily habits, how many people live in the home, the type of neighborhood you reside in and where the weak points in your already existing security systems and safeguards lie.

Home Security

A security system is typically installed by a security company and linked to their alerting system, prompting a phone call to you if the alarm is tripped. A smart home security system can allow you more control, with cameras that send a direct feed to your smartphone if tripped by a motion sensor, instant alerts if doors or windows are opened or an attempt to open them is made, lights which can be triggered to turn on when a presence is detected, and coded key locks which can be opened only by those authorized (with instant authorization possible via a code sent from one phone to another).

Home Safety

A smart home hub can be linked to multiple pieces of technology inside your home, and you can then control them remotely from anywhere with access to the cloud. For example, You can program a fire safety plan linking your lights, smoke detector, and home alarm system to wake you up if a fire starts at night, turn on lights to illuminate your evacuation route, and alert your security company to call the fire department.

Home Efficiency

There are many ways to make your home more efficient when it comes to energy use, from home appliances that adjust humidity and temperature to keep foods fresher for longer to smart thermostats that can fine tune your home’s atmosphere to achieve maximum comfort levels without wasted energy. Sprinkler systems can be triggered to turn off when wind and humidity indicate rain is on the way, and lighting adjusted for natural light brightness.

Home Protection

Smart homes can also help protect themselves against damage. A sensor that detects rising humidity in a small area can alert you to a potential water leak in your home and turn off water at a checkpoint, helping prevent major damage from a water leak if a pipe cracks or a washing machine malfunctions.

Besides the many other benefits, having a smart home system could also potentially qualify you for a discount on your homeowners insurance, by making you eligible for reductions in your annual premiums. Typical reasons for a discount include monitored home security systems and upgrades that could prevent or minimize damage to your home. Ask your insurance agent if a smart home upgrade could be a smart choice.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not form a part of, replace, change or amend any terms, conditions, provisions or language within your Olympus Insurance policy. We encourage you to read your entire policy.