Parade of Homes featuring the best of new homes in Manitoba, Canada
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1342981
POH "Our basic systems, you're able to arm and disarm them, receive notification. But we have other options where if they've got the right system and monitoring type, they can actually adjust temperature, arm and disarm the alarm, automate light switches." Systems can assign individual codes to track each resident's actions. A parent might want to get a notification when the kids come home from school, for example. Some homeowners share their passwords with trusted visitors, but Banks set up his personal system to be completely remote. "I actually open my garage door from my mobile device, I unlock my door, I disarm my alarm system," he says. "I can do this if it's a tradesperson, a cleaner or someone watching your animals. As they leave, I can arm the alarm, lock the door and close the overhead door on the garage. "I have full access to do that and I don't have to give codes out or change passwords frequently. And not only that, if I leave in a hurry and I'm like, 'Did I arm my alarm system, are the lights off, is the TV still on?' I can log in and shut that all off and make sure it's armed." Security systems aren't only for single-family homes. People living in apartments or multi-unit dwellings can benefit from them, too, LaRiviere says. She used to live in an apartment and one night when she forgot to lock her door, someone crept in and stole the keys to her vehicle. "It's OK to have a security system within an apartment block because you don't know who your neighbours are letting in," LaRiviere says. "Not everybody is able because of building codes to put in the wiring, but we do also accommodate wireless options." There's also a financial perk to boosting security, she notes. "These homeowners who put in a security system can also save on their home insurance." CAUGHT ON CAMERA — Cont'd from page 109 SECURITY SYSTEMS AREN'T ONLY FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES. PEOPLE LIVING IN APARTMENTS OR MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS CAN BENEFIT FROM THEM, TOO. 110 Parade of Homes SPRING 2021