How to Choose the Right Smart Home System for Your Home

Enhancing your home the way you want is difficult if you don’t know how to choose smart home security systems. Everyone has a different preference for security and peace of mind. A smart home system will have to tick different boxes for the homes it serves, a rural home versus a city condo, for example. Choose a smart home system that suits your lifestyle and needs and get the information you need for this decision here.

How smart home systems vary

Currently, Jump.ca Security offers the gold standard in smart home security, driven by Alarm.com products and professionally monitored by SaskTel SecurTek. Jump.ca is Saskatchewan’s only SaskTel Wireless and SecurTek Authorized Dealer. We specialize in keeping Saskatchewan connected and secure. 

That being said, there isn’t just one solution to home security. Needs vary, so our smart home security systems are adaptable, customizable, and smart to conform to the user’s and household’s needs.

Knowing your needs

Before committing to the first smart home system you see, pause and take stock of your needs, priorities, and concerns regarding family, self, and home security. Consider these categories and find out where you fall within them.

Budget

How much you spend on a smart home system can vary depending on its features and integration capabilities. There’s wiggle room to find the right match that fits within your budget. The right equipment isn’t always the most expensive set.

The price might lower if you don’t need a certain feature, and that doesn’t mean you’re getting less out of a product. It means you’re focusing on the features you need at home, not the features that someone else might need in a larger, smaller, or more occupied home, for example.

Consider what you’re willing to spend as one-time and recurring fees. It might be worth spending more up-front to get the features you need and spending less through regular payments. A one-time payment is just that. Don’t let one initial fee sway you from the smart home system of your dreams.

Integration compatibility

Our smart home security systems work as home security and home automation. While focus is on maintaining a secure home, the results include an efficiently managed home that can be run through a handheld device.

Decide how much control you want to have over your home. Find a smart home that gives you peace of mind and makes household management simple. This includes having insight into your home when you’re not there, keeping an eye on pets or children, seeing who’s at the door, and controlling lights and the thermostat from afar.

A great smart home system will integrate with smoke detectors, thermostats, lighting, locks, doorbells, and more so you have complete control. This decision is also based on how the smart home system communicates with its app or whatever platform it relays information to. It should be intuitive and reliable.

Needs

Smart home security systems offer unique features depending on the product and package. Not all homeowners will need the same security features, so decide where you stand. What features do you need in a smart home system and what features would be nice?

This is a substantive category to consider. A homeowner or family might have many needs and these will differ drastically among families and individuals. The size of a family has a huge impact on smart home security needs.

What’s at home?

The inside of your home helps determine how extensive smart home security systems should be. You might want to keep an eye on your kids when they’re at home. You might need to check on your pets and ensure they’re behaving. Perhaps you’re caring for an elderly relative. Or maybe you have a collection of vintage vehicles stored in a garage that needs security. The things, people, or pets, inside your home are a deciding factor.

How much control do you want?

There are smart home security systems that start and stop with doorbell cameras, for example. But there are more substantial smart home systems that can give you much more control if that’s something you’re looking for. 

If this is you, choose a plan that lets you turn the lights on and off when you’re away, adjust the thermostat, lock doors, or unlock doors to let in a family member or trusted person. These features allow you to control your home even when you aren’t there.

How much security do you want?

Some people will simply want to know who’s at their front door and whether there’s movement outside (or inside). Others will want more insight into their home so they can make timely decisions that will lower the chances of a more serious concern.

Some plans will alert you to smoke or carbon monoxide in the house, pipe freezes, temperature fluctuations, or changes in the humidex. You might want panic buttons, high-tech security cameras around your property, or alarms to deter burglars and trespassers.

Living in rural areas might entice you to be more cautious as you’re farther away from help or neighbors. Every situation is unique, so the amount of security you get through a smart home system is up to you.

Home size and location

Lastly, your home size and location play into the smart home security systems decision. A small apartment on the tenth floor of a busy building has different needs and access points than a five-bedroom house in the country where it’s generally calm.

Small homes, such as apartments and condos, will need fewer cameras and sensors as there’s less area to cover and fewer points of entry. Consider your outdoor space as well. In a busy area, you might not need or want motion sensors but you’ll want to know what’s outside your front door and know that you can sleep soundly at night.

The size of a home can range drastically from townhomes to country estates. A good rule of thumb is to ensure every access point to your home is covered in some way, whether that be alarms, motion sensors, doorbell cameras, or something else. Think of each window, door, garage door, and basement window. 

Also, think how far your property extends and the visibility you want to have. For example, if you have a long driveway, you might want a camera at the end of it, as well as at your home.

Your location comes into play with your comfort level and the likelihood of motion or traffic around and on your property. Busy suburban streets will have a lot of motion and neighbors. The priority is likely doors that lead into the house and control within the house. Rural living is farther removed, darker, and more secluded. 

Properties are normally larger and need more visibility. They’ll require additional cameras and motion sensors as it’s less likely people will simply be walking by the front door throughout the day.

Create an enhanced, secure home

Smart home systems are adaptable and customizable to the user. Depending on the plan, a homeowner can get visibility and control of the things that matter most to them, without wasting money on security features that don’t apply. At Jump.ca, choose the security plan that matches your needs. Arm yourself with the peace of mind and control we offer with Alarm.com products.