Home Security Technology: An Appealing Feature for Home Buyers

There’s a great deal of interest these days in whether and to what extent home security features affect the home selling process. Some claim it does relatively little to increase a home’s value and boost asking price, while others insist home security systems and the technology that makes present-day features so effective are appealing enough to attract buyers, especially young ones. 

There are a number of advantages to home security systems - advantages appealing enough to today’s home buyer to make home security a very wise home improvement for anyone entering the real estate market. That is especially the case when dealing with Millennial and Gen-Xers, buyers who have grown up using technology and expect it to be part of their daily lives. 

Advantages

Home security technology keeps homes and families safe, which is its chief advantage, especially if you’re selling a home in or near a high-crime area, but safety is just part of the picture. Per Coverhound, a house with a home security system will earn the owner up to 20 percent off home insurance premiums because, in addition to protection against break-ins, home security also protects against carbon monoxide poisoning and fire. It’s a hefty discount and well worth the cost of installing a home security system. 

Today’s technology makes it possible to interact with a system easily via smartphone, which means you can secure an entire house and monitor its safety remotely. That’s an attractive feature for buyers who want the peace of mind that comes with knowing they can lock and monitor their home while away, and track and record the actions of intruders, both outside and inside. For a tech-savvy buyer, it’s a valuable feature, one worthy of paying a higher price.  

Features

There are many options concerning home security technology; you can purchase a fully integrated system for about $300, or take the a la carte approach and add specific features that appeal to you to an existing system. A smart doorbell is one of the most popular security features on the market, and you can purchase a Ring video doorbell for as low as $59.99. You can receive text alerts whenever someone comes to your door, which also activates the tiny camera in the doorbell button, allowing you to see who’s paying you a visit wherever you might be. Smart doorbells offer motion sensing, 2-way audio so you can interact with your visitor, and high-resolution video. 

Smart locks are among the most convenient and effective home security technology features available. With a smartphone operating through Wifi or Bluetooth, you can lock or unlock your doors from anywhere, a handy thing when a delivery person shows up unexpectedly or if your kid forgets to lock up before leaving for the evening. Door keys become obsolete, because the system will recognize your phone approaching, so there’s no need to fumble in your pockets for a key or worry about being locked out should you forget it. 

Smart cameras use Wifi connectivity to monitor and record via a smartphone app, with the option of uploading footage to the Cloud for storage so there’s no need for extraneous and bulky recording equipment — a solution CloudHQ points out is a solid safeguard, so long as your using proper password protocols and such. In the event there is a breakin, you can even talk to an intruder. These cameras are essentially monitors, and can also be utilized to check in on your family as they come and go while you’re away, or to even look in on your baby while they sleep.

Controlling lighting and shading is another benefit of smart home security. Some systems allow you to create an “away” scenario in which doors are locked, alarms are armed, and lights are turned on and off at set intervals throughout the day. Automated shades and blinds can also be programmed to go up and down. The goal is deterrence, and if would-be burglars think someone is home, they’ll think twice about breaking in. 

Such high-tech measures can make it easier to sell a property and, in some cases, allow you to set a higher sale price. Security and peace of mind are worth a lot to buyers who have families, and can be provided at affordable prices these days. And for many buyers, it’s a “must have.” 

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