5 Essential Home Automation Ideas For Chicago

One of the benefits of buying a Vivint home security system in Chicago is that you can integrate it with home automation. Items like a smart thermostat should make your home the perfect temperature and energy-efficient. Smart locks empower you to remote control your doorways. And you won’t forget that you left the garage door up again with an automated garage door sensor.

However, as powerful as these tools are by themselves, they can have an even larger impact when used together with your home security system. Here are just 5 amazing home automation ideas for Chicago that will make your house much more attuned to your lifestyle:

Home Automation Idea #1: Go on alert when you go for work

Along with a before bed procedure, you can program your automation systems to set when your house is vacant. With your Vivint App, you can protect your home through a single button touch. Now you can ensure that every door is secure, every light is turned off, the alarms are armed, and your cameras are on duty. You can even close the garage door via the app if it’s accidentally left wide open.

You don't have to keep your house on alert the entire day. Open the doors for out-of-town visitors or service professionals via the smartphone app. Or place your house on guard without even pushing a button. By placing a geofence around your house, your system powers on each time you leave the driveway. Then when you return home, your alarms turn off, and your doors unlock when you come up to the garage.

Home Automation Idea #2: Put your home down for the night

Your bedtime schedule has become routine: shut off all the lights, lock the front door, change the thermostat, and prep your security system. However, how often have you woken up to see that you forgot to lock the back door or left the kitchen light on? And once you forget to do one part of your evening checklist, it's simple to overlook it another night, too. Without realizing it, your forgotten ritual becomes commonplace in its own right.

But you can make sure that your living space is ready for bed every night when you automate your bedtime program. Through your Chicago home security system, you can create templates that fine-tune all your devices without you leaving bed. With a touch of a button, you can lock the doors, turn off the lights, change the thermostat, and set your security system. Or don't worry about forgetting to touch a button. Designate your automation to turn on at a specific time -- such as midnight.

Home Automation Idea #3: Keep safe during a fire

While your home automation system makes your life easier, it will help in a fire or other hazardous situations. Should your smoke detectors find excess smoke, your home can dive into action! Program your smart thermostat to instantly power on the ventilation fan to curb the spread of dangerous smoke. Then have it power on all your smart bulbs to illuminate the way out, and unlock all the doors for emergency specialists.

In fact, you can program automated protocols to several emergency situations. Turn on every light when a glass break sensor trips. Sound your high decibel speakers when the medical panic pendant is pressed. Or get video snippets sent to your mobile device when your smart locks trigger. Nearly all of your systems can be networked to function together in any way you think will help safeguard your home and loved ones.

Home Automation Idea #4: Get alerts to your smartphone

Always be aware of what's happening in your home through automated notifications sent to your mobile device. Any time a motion sensor on a surveillance camera senses abnormal motion, you'll know with a text or mobile pop-up. Fire and CO sensors will show an alert so that you'll never return home to an undiscovered situation. Or have your smart locks text you when your kids come home from the bus. Once you receive a notification, you can decide how to move forward.

Communicate with anyone at your front door through the doorbell cameras to instruct them where to stash a package. Check your outdoor cameras to see if the abnormal motion facilitates a call to the police. Or remotely trigger your indoor smart lighting to deter any suspicious intruders.

Home Automation Idea #5: Set moods for watching tv and everything else

Departing the house and going to sleep may be just one setting on your home automation system. You can also make presets for all types of activities. Adjust the lights just a smidge while dropping your motorized shades for the ultimate movie viewing experience. Illuminate a dimly lit trail from your living room to the pantry for an evening snack.

You can craft a ”entertaining” preset that automatically changes the lights and thermostat to accommodate the extra body heat. Then when a new visitor knocks at your door, you can inform them to come on in through your doorbell camera. And if you determine you want another futuristic Vivint component you don’t already use, you can seamlessly integrate it to your current network.

Realize your home automation ideas with your Vivint system

When you want a security solution that takes full advantage of home automation, turn to the experts at Vivint. They’ll help you determine your needs and tailor-make a system that safeguards your living space and makes it more accessible. Simply call (312) 626-4802 or complete the form below today!