Disclaimer: I’m not sure how NETGEAR found me, but they contacted me to become one of their ambassadors, and that’s awesome. Yes, they sent me the Arlo Smart Home Security Camera for free in exchange for my honest and very own opinion.Â
I’ve had people come to the door and scare me with their bold demeanor, whether they are sales people or people who had no good reason to be on our property. Being scared in your own home sucks. Here are some of the the most important things that help me feel safe around our home.
1. Get to know your neighbours
What happens if you forget to close your garage door? Who are you going to text and ask for help? What happens if there are strange noises outside and you’re home alone? Call up your neighbour and chat with them for a bit while things settle down. A few weeks ago I was in San Francisco, came back home only to realize I left my house keys inside our home. Luckily I could text my neighbour and hung out at their place with their new baby and dog until my husband came back from work.
2. Have a dog that likes to bark
Alfie, without fail, will bark when he hears something suspicious outside. He is on watch 24/7 and I can rely on him to provide early warning for surprise visitors. It doesn’t hurt that the majority of people who ring the bell have no idea the size of the dog behind the door in front of them, either.
3. Intercom and alarm system
These are pretty standard, but they really help give piece of mind. The intercom system is great so not only do I not have to actually answer the door to see who’s there, I don’t even need to go near it. It has been a savior, especially for those times I don’t want to answer the door if I’m in my PJs or it’s dark out and I feel uncomfortable opening the door. I like the alarm at night because I know it will wake me if anything sets it off.
4. Security cameras
Once upon a time, this might have seemed a little extreme, but with new cameras connected to the Internet, they really aren’t a big deal and the comfort they provide is well worth it. A while ago, I really wanted to know what was going on outside without having to approach the door. My husband and I had discussed this and he put up a makeshift camera directing onto the porch so I can see people coming to the door before they ring our doorbell, then decide if I want to answer it or not depending on if I’m expecting a mail delivery or the like. This is a great addition to the intercom. Recently we’ve upgraded to much fancier cameras from NETGEAR, who provided me with the Arlo Smart Home Security Camera to try out.
Setup:
Easy! There is a special device you have to plug into your router, but aside from that, you only have to choose where to put the magnetic camera mounts. An easy to use app on my iPad completed the setup.
Pros:
+. Truly wireless: The cameras run off batteries so you can literally place them anywhere.
+. Recording: The video goes directly to the Internet so you can play back events on your phone.
+. Weatherproof:  You can put the cameras indoors or outdoors.
+. Night vision and motion detection: The Arlo sends you alerts whenever there is motion detected by the camera and will automatically record a clip at that time.
Cons:
 –. Non-rechargeable batteries: we’ll have to replace these every few months.
 -. Some of the more advanced features require a paid subscription.
 -. Hard to mount securely outside: The provided mounts are magnetic, which is great, but outside, it makes the cameras themselves too easy to steal. You really need to buy    traditional camera mounts to make them harder to remove.
Why would you need it?
The home security cameras are great for a variety of reasons. Not only for home security purposes, but for instance, monitoring your pets when you’re away at work — spy on them and see what they do throughout the day. Have elderly parents? Want to watch the babysitter look after your children? Or simply while you’re away on vacation and want to check in on the house?  The Arlo cameras make it easy to do it all, and the flexibility of the battery powered wireless design is fantastic.
There are add-ons you can also buy if the starter kit isn’t enough for you. You can set up to 15 cameras under the one system. Pop ’em all over the house!
We like to go the extra mile to make sure our home is secure. Although it’s hard to prevent perpetrators from watching and waiting for you to leave your home — and be bold and break in. But at least we’ll know right away if they do.
How do you like to make sure your homes are safe and sound?Â
11 Comments
we’ve always lived in cities, so we’re used to being very aware of our surroundings, but i worry about when we’re not home – thank goodness for neighbors and alarm systems!
Annie recently posted..MayFest
These are very important shifts/tips to take into making our homes safe! It’s critical for us to feel safe and comfortable in our own homes. I agree that we need to take steps in order to make us feel safe! I live in a High Rise building which is very secure but would still like to get to know my neighbors better! This is a very valuable blog post and I hope everyone follows your steps! Thank you!
We live in a very secure neighborhood, however right before Christmas last year, my daughter grabbed something out of my car and left the doors unlocked. Wouldn’t you know that, naturally, that was the night someone from a neighboring town decided to walk through our development and try his luck with unlocked cars? We were literally robbed when we were within twenty feet of our car. The alarm system was ordered the next day! It is amazing what a sense of security and peace it has given us, especially when traveling or when I’m home alone. Though I would have thought the Fort Knox-ing of our home or the use of security cameras was extreme prior to that incident, I now believe it is just one small step towards protecting our family. Awesome post, thanks for sharing all your tips!
Ashley recently posted..My 2015 Reading List: May Update & Reviews
These are some great tips and definitely something that is always on my mind 24/7. I’m paranoid by nature (LOL) and although nothing has happened in our neighborhood you can never let your guard down. I have been wanting to put security cameras in our home and this would be perfect. We do have a golden retriever that alerts us of anything that is going on around the house at all times. She is very protective of our home.
This is the neatest thing I have ever seen! I know this might sound weird, but I have always wanted to have cameras all about my house. Even for silly things like “I forget where I put this. Let’s look back and see when I last had it.” That’s so, so neat.
Amy recently posted..First Impression Night Time Skin Care Routine
This looks perfect! My cousin has a little one crawling everywhere now and with that you really have to be extra careful with everything! Security is definitely my number one priority and if it can keep my home safe, I’ll get it! This looks really cool and I love how small it looks, small but it works great! Lovely! Will check this out!
These tips are very useful and helpful. My neighborhood is pretty safe. I actually know all my neighbors and we tend to look out for each other. Haven’t had any break ins or anything along the lines. *Knock on wood* This would be a great investment though. It’s really high tech.
We have one similar to this and we love it. It’s always great being able to look at our house when we are on vacation. This one looks like a great camera too.
I’ve never been particularly concerned with how safe I am while I’m in my home, but recently we moved into a duplex and the neighbors have teenagers hanging out in the lawn at all hours of the night. I can definitely see how having a camera would put my mind at ease as there have been so many nights I want to know what they’re doing, but am afraid to get caught looking out the blinds.
Michelle H recently posted..Giveaway: Trail Ride for 2 at This Is the Place Heritage Park
This is a huge issue now, this is really important to keep our home safe. I like the way you review this post, you had pros cons this is why people habe to think about this.
Thank you so much for this review! I have been meaning to get to Best Buy to purchase this security system. We recently moved and although the neighborhood is quiet I am still a bit antsy and want to feel more secure. I would imagine a better mounting system would make sense, so I will be sure o purchase that as well.