Homeowners Insurance: 4 Money-Saving, Home-Protecting Security Features

17 June 2015
 Categories: Insurance, Blog

Share

There were more than two million home burglaries in 2012 with victims suffering roughly $4.7 billion in personal property losses. Those are some scary statistics and can really make you give home security systems a second thought. Something else that may lead you to reconsider is that most insurance carriers will provide you a discount on your homeowners insurance for certain security systems. In fact, you may be able to knock off as much as 20 percent from your premium. Here are three examples of security features that will save you money, deter burglars and keep your home and valuables safe:

1. Smart Cameras

When you think about installing a camera security system at your home, you probably think about large, bulky equipment and tons of wiring. However, with the advances in technology today, that doesn't have to be the case. Instead, modern cameras tend to be wireless and unobtrusive. You may even be able to find some that have motion activation so that they only come on to record when there is a good reason to. This can help save battery power and storage space.

2. Home Automation

How many times have you been in a hurry when you left the home to go on a family vacation, a weekend at the spa or an extended business trip? Probably more than you would like to admit, and during those times you probably forgot to leave the television, radio or a light on to make it appear like someone was home. After all, things like this can be very powerful in deterring burglars. With home automation products, you turn these things on and off no matter where you from a simple app installed on your smartphone.

3. Keyless Entry Systems

Vehicles have had keyless entry for some time now, and now homes are starting to get it to thanks to technology improvements. This may not be something that you have ever thought about needing, but it really can come in handy in certain cases. For example, let's say you couldn't get off work and a repairman needs to enter your home to service your HVAC unit. You don't want to leave a key, but you need your air working again. With a keyless system, particularly one a hybrid version, you can provide temporary code for him to use.

Whether you love high-tech security gadgets or not, they can definitely help secure your home while you're away. After all, who doesn't like to save money while protecting their home and personal belongings? Contact your home insurance agent to find out what systems qualify for the home insurance discount to make sure you purchase and install a discount-worthy product.