Today’s home security systems are pretty remarkable. From motion detectors and video surveillance to smart locks and water sensors, technology makes it easier than ever to keep tabs on your property from virtually anywhere.
But even the smartest security system has its blind spots.
A camera can alert you to someone approaching your front door. A water sensor can detect a leak. But neither can replace the eyes, ears and judgment of someone physically walking through your home and around your property, noticing when something isn’t quite right.
At Santa Barbara Home Watch, we’ve encountered our share of surprises during routine property inspections. Some are relatively minor. Others have the potential to become very expensive headaches.
Take the family of skunks that took up residence beneath a client’s deck. They’d found themselves a cozy spot, but their presence could have meant damage to the structure, landscaping or surrounding property, not to mention a nasty surprise when the owners returned home. Skunks are not the kind of activity a typical home security system is designed to detect.
Then there was the parade of ants marching through a client’s kitchen. An unoccupied home can be an inviting place for pests, especially when no one is around to notice the first signs of trouble. What starts as a few ants can quickly become a full-fledged infestation if left unchecked.
Some discoveries are considerably more dramatic.
During one storm, a tree came down onto a neighboring property’s swimming pool. Beyond the obvious damage, a fallen tree can create safety hazards and complicated questions about cleanup, repairs and neighboring properties. It’s exactly the sort of unexpected situation that benefits from having someone local who can assess what’s happened and coordinate a response.
And then there was the property with an apiary that attracted black bears. While a backyard beehive might seem like a charming addition to a Santa Barbara estate, bears have a well-known fondness for honey and bee brood.
Their visits can wreak havoc on hives and surrounding property. It’s a reminder that even the most beautiful, carefully maintained homes can attract some very unexpected guests.
Of course, not every home watch discovery involves wildlife or storm damage. A strange odor, an irrigation system that’s malfunctioning, a window that won’t close properly or a small plumbing leak can all signal trouble that technology alone might miss.
That’s where professional home watch services come in.
At Santa Barbara Home Watch, we believe technology and personal inspections work best together, allowing us to identify potential problems and coordinate solutions when needed.
Your security system can tell you when an alarm goes off. But it can’t always tell you when something just isn’t right.
Because there’s no substitute for having someone you trust looking after your home.
