Ask luxury homeowners what’s important in their homes and chances are privacy and security will be among the top concerns.
As the value of homes and possessions increase along with an individual’s public profile, so too do security issues. Today the perception of security is apt to include a range of new vulnerabilities.
Technology is Making Security Easier
When it comes to protection, luxury homeowners have more tools than ever literally at their fingertips. Security has become easier to incorporate into our homes with technology.
Nowadays, luxury homeowners can integrate everything from opening their garage door to lights to temperature control and having security as part of that integration. Most owners can now watch their front door from a different location on their mobile device. This allows security to be simple and seamless.
Not only has the area of home security and protection accelerated at a remarkable pace. But smaller monitoring devices have changed the face of home security. These are all great technological advancements.
But a general warning, especially to ultra-high net worth individuals, is to be aware of the vulnerabilities of those technologies. The more technology that exists in your home, the greater the potential of vulnerability for hacking.
Also, new devices might be mice, but it’s important not to lose sight of the basics. Devices that alert you to problems with your home are great. Thus, make sure a central monitoring facility or someone local can respond on a moment’s notice.
Affluent homeowners should ensure their security system is on par with the value, size and complexity of the property. In a home of high calibre, it’s important to use experts and not rely on the person who is installing the tv system.
Protecting the outside as well as the inside
Protecting the perimeter of a property is as important as protecting the perimeter of the home. However, this requirement varies with the type of property and how often it is occupied.
Beautiful remote locations offer a high degree of privacy, but they often bring inherent risks including a longer emergency response time. Pointing to the huge growth of interest in properties in Kilimani and Kileleshwa.
Infusing Functionality with Aesthetics
Balancing aesthetics and convenience with security and protection is a challenge for upscale homeowners. Homeowners often place a higher priority on appearances. For example, some might be reluctant to install a smoke detector in some rooms because it might not match the ceiling.
The presence of sensors that can literally monitor almost anything is dynamically changing home security. It’s that fine line between protection and convenience that we are forever walking. You would be surprised how many more people are interested in monitoring the temperature of their oven than the water flow in the basement.
Shelter From The Storm
Some of the most desirable locations, waterfront or hilltop, are also ones prone to natural disasters. Make good choices when you buy a hilltop home. Some of the simple things buyers can do include managing vegetation so things are trimmed back 100 feet from the house. Look for superior construction.
Look for a well-engineered product that meets the highest codes. Even ask to see the engineering report to see that a product is compliant. All it takes is something smashing through that glass and the house is virtually gone.
New homes are often more storm worthy, thanks to advancements in building technology and plans in some areas that also take potential storms into account.
Additionally, in coastal or flood-prone areas, new methods of construction include putting the home on stilts or designing the main level in such a way that water can flow through the house without compromising structural integrity. But, It all starts with having a deep solid connection to the home’s foundation system.
Often homeowners are tempted to finish off levels designed for a storm surge: Don’t invest big money in volatile electronic components in places that are designed to have floodwaters washing through them.
Backup Power
No longer a nice-to-have extra, backup power is becoming a must-have in some regions of the country, especially for high-end homeowners. Currently, more and more homebuyers are considering back-up generators in case of power outages.
These neighbourhoods have older infrastructures, older large trees and overhead power lines, all of which cause concerns for power outages in big storms. Requests for backup power sources aren’t as prevalent in the next ring of suburbs out, where the engineering of communities is more updated and the infrastructure is newer and efficiently installed.
