Top Home Security Systems Can Increase Your Home’s Worth
Top Home Security Systems in Rochester, Syracuse & Buffalo are Increasing Home Values There are many things that we do to our homes to increase their worth, such as hardwood flooring, modern bathroom fixtures, and other types of renovations. But did you know that the top home security systems and home automation products can increase your home’s value as well? Let’s take a look at the different elements of a home security system that can make your home worth more: 1. Smart Thermostats Anything that helps your home save energy can give your home value a boost. When energy is saved, energy bills are reduced. Most smart thermostats pay for themselves within 24 months. This means that a return on investment is produced for the lifetime of the thermostat. You can tell the thermostat to adjust the temperature at certain times during the day or control it through your mobile phone or tablet. 2. 24/7 Security System Monitoring 24/7 monitoring is becoming more popular because it is like having a security guard at your door every single day and night. In fact, it is a major feature of the top home security systems. The rising popularity in home alarm monitoring is resulting in more professional security system installations than do-it-yourself security systems. This is good since do-it-yourself systems may just be an alarm with no monitoring and no way to notify you if there is an emergency. 3. Fire and Carbon Monoxide Protection A security system can also provide you with fire and carbon monoxide protection. If you decide to sell your home, this is something that a potential buyer could find very appealing. Added protection is always a plus. A top security system can also be outfitted with the capability to detect flooding in the basement, which will give you a notification if a pipe bursts or a flooding event happens in your area while you’re out of town. 4. Smart Lights Imagine being out of town and controlling your lights through your phone. One of the biggest pieces of advice that people receive when going out of town is to leave a light on. With smart lights, you can alternate lights each night to make it appear that someone is home. Contact An Experienced Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse Home Security Alarm Company At SPS Fire & Security, we want to help you increase your home value by installing a top security system within your home. Not only does this give you peace of mind in the way of keeping you and your family safer, but brings more value to the home in a unique way. To learn more, call us at 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.
Home Security – Securing Your Home for Winter Vacation
Home Prep Tips for Securing Your Home If you’re like many people in the Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo area, you go south for the winter or travel during the holidays. According to the AAA, more than 103 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. That’s a lot of people! Unfortunately, while you’re securing your home for winter vacation, many of them won’t be. A lot of homes are left vulnerable to thieves looking to take advantage of the situation. The following points are tips for securing your home for your winter vacation, whether it’s a week or a few months: 1. Prevent Water Issues Since you won’t be home using hot water, you can turn down your hot water heater to reduce the amount of energy it consumes. This will save you money. You can also turn off your main water supply so you don’t have to worry about unexpected leaks. The last thing you need is to come home to a flood or receive a very high water bill. You can also keep your heat on to prevent the pipes from freezing, but keep it no higher or lower than 50 degrees. This is just warm enough to prevent the freezing of pipes and still save you money on energy costs. 2. Prevent Electrical Issues When it comes to appliances and other electrical devices, follow one rule: unplug them if you aren’t using them. Specifically, there’s no need for the computer, blender, microwave, or even the television to remain plugged in. Because these things have electricity moving through them, you also reduce your chance of an electrical fire. 3. Make the Empty House Less Obvious Next, make sure the house doesn’t look empty. You can do the following to make the house look occupied: Keep a few key lights on in the home, preferably those that are on the most anyway. This is to ensure nothing looks out of place. Have a friend or neighbor pick up your mail and newspaper each day so the mail doesn’t accumulate in the mailbox. Have someone on standby to shovel your sidewalk, porch steps, and/or driveway if it snows. Keep on a radio so voices can be heard through windows or doors. 4. Properly Secure Your Home The last area to consider is the security of your home. With a properly installed home security system, there are many things you can achieve: View your home while you’re away via an app on your phone that can see what your home video surveillance cameras see. Control the lights in the home so you can turn lights on and off no matter where you are. You can also control your thermostat. What better way to make a burglar believe someone is home than to turn your home into a smart home? If a pipe bursts, the alarm system can detect it and notify you of a problem so you can send someone to your home to see what is happening. In case there is a fire, the fire department will be notified. If someone breaks in, the alarm will sound and the 24/7 monitoring center will be notified so the authorities can be called. A home security system with all this functionality can help you manage parts of the other areas you need to do to make sure your home is secure while you’re gone. An Experienced Rochester, Buffalo & Syracuse Home Security Company Focused On Securing Your Home At SPS Fire & Security in Rochester, we help you protect everything you’ve worked hard for when you’re away. If you travel and don’t have a security system, talk to us now to see how you can better secure your home. Call us today at 585-770-0348 or complete the contact form below.
Small Business Security: 3 Steps to Protect Your Business
How to Protect Your Interests with Small Business Security Running a small business comes at a cost, so every dollar you make counts. The cash flow problem tends to be the first reason why a business fails, so it is very important to be smart with limited resources. When cutting cost, however, one of the first things business owners cut is small business security. Of course, this isn’t recommended because securing your small business is an investment that pays off over time. It protects you from losses. In fact, your security should grow as your business grows to protect everything you have worked for. Securing Your Network One of the things that you must do is secure your network. Small businesses are sometimes the target of hackers. Something as simple as a virtual private network (VPN) can make a difference in how safe data is or isn’t in your business. With a VPN, a layer of privacy is added to the network so that your data is kept safer than it would be otherwise. Securing Your Facility This is where small business security systems, access control, and other types of security measures come in. You can monitor the access points of your building through an access control system. This is a system where employees or other authorized people can only enter if they have a card or a code. This protects the building from people not authorized to come inside without approval from a front desk clerk or security guard. Fortunately, cameras help you see who enters your place. As a result, they catch shoplifters and burglars. Moreover, just having cameras can stop bad things from happening. Similarly, security systems also stop bad stuff. Furthermore, at night, they scare away burglars. However, if someone breaks in anyway, the alarm goes off and police come. Protecting Against Environmental Hazards Security systems also stop flood damage. Alarms have fire warnings too, so you don’t lose as much stuff. Want even more? Make your building smart! Lock doors, change heat, and check security from anywhere. Rochester, Syracuse & Buffalo Small Business Security You Can Count On For a safe New York small business, choose SPS Fire & Security. We set up security systems, control doors, add cameras, and make your building smart. Feel secure when you’re not there. Call 585-770-0348.