By
December 15, 2020
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a festive tale of the miserable Grinch trying to put an end to Christmas by stealing all the presents from homes on Christmas Eve.
The story has a happy ending, but unfortunately it won’t be the same for many Kiwi homeowners this Christmas.
Recent research by Colmar Brunton suggests that 8% of annual burglaries occur over the festive period - with 4 out of 5 of these happening when people are away from their homes, even when only for a short period.
It’s thought that a combination of factors contribute to this rise in burglaries: open windows and doors due to hot weather, more valuable items on show, and people spending time away from their properties.
Protect your home with smart systems & thinking
Thankfully, you can reduce the risk of burglary in two ways. Firstly, by taking advantage of a new wave of relatively cheap smart home security systems, which work by connecting to your Wi-Fi and enable you to monitor your home remotely via your smartphone. And secondly, by taking a number of simple steps to deter opportunist thieves.
1. Smart home security systems: these systems provide an extra line of defence, especially when you are away from your home, both as a deterrent to thieves and for monitoring your property. They connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network, enabling you to control your security devices from your smart phone from wherever you are. Fibre will give you the fastest and most reliable broadband connection for your system at home; you can see if it’s available at your address by using our broadband checker.
For under $100
Security Wi-Fi Camera (TP-Link Tapo C100)
Features include:
- Sends a notification via a free app when it detects motion and shows you a video clip of what’s been seen.
- Up to 30 feet of night vision.
- Stores up to 16 days of footage.
Find out more here.
For under $200
Video Doorbell - (Laser SMT-CAMDBW-L smart home 720P HD video)
Features include:
- Get alerts when a visitor is at your door - whether you are at home or away from your property.
- See and speak to visitors with two-way talk.
- It detects motion and videos what’s been seen.
Find out more here.
For under $500
2 camera system - (Arlo Essential wire free security 1080p)
Features include:
- Works indoors and outside, and is wire free.
- Integrated spotlights and colour night vision.
- Built-in smart siren.
- Get alerts when motion is detected and speak to visitors with 2-way audio.
Find out more here.
For under $600
4 camera system - (Swann 4 Channel 1080p Full HD DVR Security System)
Features include:
- Heat and motion activate warning lights and notifications to your smartphone.
- Hands-free voice commands.
- Stream video to your devices using Google Assistant, Chromecast, Google Home Hub and Alexa.
- Automatically uploads images and video to Dropbox plus has its own 1TB of storage.
Find out more here.
2. Police tips: whether or not you opt for a smart home security system, New Zealand Police offers some practical advice to help keep your property and belongings safe, which is particularly relevant this Christmas:
- Make your house look lived-in if you are going away; having lights and/or a radio on a daily timer is an option.
- Keep valuables out of sight, and receipts, warranties, valuations and serial numbers in a safe place.
- Good quality locks will make your house more secure; keep doors locked even when you are at home and make sure windows are locked at night.
- Don't leave keys, wallets, purses or credit cards in an obvious place or near windows.
- Always lock your car, motorbike, bicycle and other vehicles.
- Make sure your garage and tools are secure.
Wishing you a happy, safe and Grinch-free Christmas, from everyone at Chorus!