Prevention is better than the cure

In our last blog, we explored the results of Somfy’s home security survey earlier this year, which shockingly revealed that 1 in 4 never locked their front door when leaving the house, despite nearly 1 in 5 having experienced a burglary!

Home break-ins can put a strain on our mental and financial wellbeing, therefore when it comes to home security, prevention is always better than cure. Deterrents are a huge factor in keeping homes safe so the best way to avoid falling victim to burglary is to ensure your home is never considered a target in the first place. In this blog, we will be recommending our top home security tips and solutions to improve your home security and make your home a less tempting target for burglars.

Traditional precautions

First, start with the basics, the traditional precautions which are low cost, require minimal effort and are arguably the most vital layer of home defence. Ensure all access points, such as doors and windows, are secured, to prevent opportunistic burglars from entering your home. If you’re going to be away from home for the night or home late on a dark night, programme your lights to automatically switch on at a certain time to give the illusion that someone is in at home. Sophisticated home security systems are an excellent deterrent, but it is important to get these basics right first otherwise security technology is made redundant.

High tech solutions

Of those surveyed in Somfy’s home security research, 58% of residents said they had adopted Smart Home products and of those, more than half reported to feeling safer as a direct result. Commenting on the findings, Steven Montgomery, Managing Director of Somfy UK and Ireland, said: ‘It was interesting that nearly half of UK residents don’t have any form of Smart Home security. The biggest advantage of including smart home devices and security features is that they can prevent break-ins from occurring altogether. Burglars generally look for easy targets and unprotected homes. If they sense that you have a modern security system, most burglars won’t even bother targeting your property.”

Smart home security products can give you peace of mind that every nook and cranny in your home is protected. So, what smart home security solutions should you implement in your home and what features should you look out for?

Deter burglars

Worrying about keeping your home safe from intruders can keep you up at night. Smart security cameras can take that anxiety away by keeping an eye on your property when you can’t, 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week. Technology such as the Somfy Outdoor Camera, a camera with full HD and night vision, is designed not only to monitor your property, but with its built-in 110dB siren can make plenty of noise designed to startle and scare off any would-be burglar should the need arise.

Similarly, an intelligent alarm system like the Somfy Home Alarm, immediately triggers a loud siren and sends a push notification to your smartphone if the motion detector or door and window sensors identify an intruder. The IntelliTAG™ sensors are the only door and window sensors that warn you if there is an attempted break-in before the intruders break in. In the process, it can recognise the difference between a ball bumping the door and the door being forced open. And what about your pets? With the smart motion detector, animals can romp around past the camera without setting off the alarm.

Smart activation

The Somfy Outdoor Camera and the Somfy Home Alarm come with a smart activation function. When you get back home, the system will recognise you and switch itself off, and if you go out again, you’ll get a reminder via the app on your smartphone to re-activate them. If you want to keep an eye on what’s going on in the inside of your home but also value your privacy then Somfy’s Indoor Camera is a great option. It features a built-in privacy shutter in front of the camera lens which closes as you enter the house to give you some privacy so no one can see what’s going on once you’re home.

Another great feature of Somfy Protect products is that you can choose who has access to your Somfy app, be it a friend or a neighbour, so if you’re away from home, others can be notified and can check on things at home for you. This provides you with an added layer of reassurance knowing there is another set of eyes and ears keeping tabs on your property and family.

Connected ecosystem

The Somfy Protect range is more than just a security system, it’s a complete collection of connected smart home technology that allows you to create your own unique solution tailored to your home and family’s requirements. As your family and needs evolve, your smart home can too as you can easily add more Somfy Protect accessories to your system, such as extra sensors, cameras, motion detectors, outdoor sirens or smoke sensors.

Designed to be part of the modern smart home, you can control your Somfy Protect ecosystem using your existing virtual assistant too, whether it’s  Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit and via the IFTTT platform with countless other brands, just speak to make it happen.

Home alarms and security cameras are excellent burglar deterrents as well as helping us feel safer where we live as a result. With Somfy Protect , you can monitor and control everything from your smartphone, from the outside of your property, to the indoor environment where your pets and children play.