How Smart Is Your Home Security System?

The latest technology solutions for protecting your property.

Imagine you’re out, and you receive a notification from the smart home security app on your phone. The motion detector in your surveillance camera detected someone’s there.

It starts a live video feed, and you watch as someone jumps over the fence and sneaks around your home.

You yell into the app, they run off!

It’s likely many more New Zealand home owners will look at installing some form of smart home security system this year, and it’s not hard to see why! Technology advances now mean you can monitor your vehicle, home or business from wherever you are. If global trends are anything to go by – stepping up your security could help in deterring would-be intruders as well, reducing your risk of burglary or other unwanted intrusion. It seems keeping an eye on the home front has never been easier… even if it is mostly just to check in on the family dog!

Below, we take a look at the potential benefits of installing smart home security, what you should think about when upgrading, and give you our five top smart home security picks in New Zealand today.

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While New Zealand is still in early stages of adoption with security tech, we’ve found plenty of examples from overseas which help to demonstrate the value of having a system in place. Internationally, some insurance providers will even offer discounts on their premiums for homeowners who have a smart systems installed! One system which provides ample evidence of smart surveillance thwarting a burglary is Nest.com. This is perhaps no surprise given it the technology is owned by Google! We found this video from an owner who used the apps voice system to scare them away.

“A burglary took place in my home while I was out. Checking on the App, I saw the intruders inside, and used Talk & Listen to scare them away. I usually use the camera to keep an eye on my “guard” dogs, but I’m glad Nest Cam saved the day. Things can be replaced, I am just glad my dogs are ok.”

There are benefits for business owners too. This example from CleverLoop also shows how their footage catches shoplifters in a retail store.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fyMDj75-ky8

Just remember – think twice before publishing everything for all to see. This may be a breach of privacy – hold back on that!

It’s not just homes and businesses getting on board with smart technology. Take an example for one of our clients here at Balance. A dash cam captured a person who had reversed into him and drove off without leaving details. He got rego of course and phoned police… all nicely recorded!

The next question you might be asking is is, if you are going to upgrade to a smart system this year, which should you go for for? It’s a good time to be thinking about the different options available. The problem is it can be difficult to find independent information on which provider to go with. With technology changing all the time it can also be hard to find an up-to-date guide to what choice you feel is right for your property, budget and preferred set-up.

Our Five Top Smart Home Security Picks

If you’re still new to smart security, we’ve pulled together a comparison of the five top options available right now – in no particular order, these are

• Morepork (Owned by Spark) – morepork.nz

Cost: $299.95 upfront

Subscription: $9.95 a month price tag and 12-month contract commitment

• Ring – ring.com

Cost: from $379 for an outdoor camera

Subscription: 60-day cloud storage it costs $4.50 a month

• Nest (Owned by Google) –  nest.com/nz

Cost: $359 for the camera and then

Subscription: ongoing cloud support is $8/month (5 days video history), $16/month (10 days) or $34/month (30 days).

• CleverLoop – cleverloop.co.nz

Cost: from $699 for camera

Subscription: none

• Arlo (by Netgear) – arlo.com/nz

Cost: from $699 for a camera with no monthly subscription fees

Subscription: a basic plan is free, paid plan from 13.99 per month

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It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the features that are on offer. Smart security comes with all the bells, and whistles. Literally! From smart doorbells which let you “video chat” from your smartphone to anyone who comes knocking, smart cameras which can be adjusted to detect different types of motion, alarm-sensitive spotlights and more. But buyer beware, not all smart security systems are created equally. But, just like insurance, it’s not just pricing that matters when you weigh up what option gives you.

What to think about, when you’re upgrading your home security.

If you haven’t already looked at smart home security or surveillance options, it’s not just price you’ll need to be thinking about. While many are similar across devices, there are some features which are unique to each advice and it comes down to what your preference, as well as the particular set-up you want in your home. See our checklist below for all the features you should think about when choosing your technology system.

It may still be early days for New Zealand home owners, but if you have upgraded, consider yourself an early adopter! While latest reports indicate home security technology has yet to make an impact on New Zealand’s burglary rates, the next 12 months may tell a different story. It will indeed be interesting to see how that changes in coming years, as more Kiwis take advantage of the range of smart home security solutions available. If overseas trends are anything to go by, we are likely not going to be far behind the decrease in burglaries as a result of smarter systems in place, and that’s something both Insurers and Homeowners can be optimistic about.

For more ways to improve security around your home, we recommend checking out the New Zealand Police website for a range of practical tips for protecting your property and vehicles.

Scroll down to see our Smart home security features checklist 

Smart Security Features Checklist – What matters to you?