August 27, 2018
Smart door locks finally let me travel with peace of mind, and it’s nothing short of revolutionary.
By: Natalie Holmes
Travel is a joy and I’m lucky it’s such a large part of my life. But it does come with a certain amount of stress—from logistics, transport and navigation, to the constant low-level anxiety about what’s happening at home while I’m not there. Thankfully, technology is solving these problems one by one, making the process of exploring the world much smoother and more stress-free and enjoyable.
Recently, one seemingly small innovation has brought peace of mind in an area I never thought possible: My home. I always assumed being away from home would come with a certain sense of insecurity, and that was the price I paid for the wealth of benefits of travel. Smart door locks, however, have changed all that, and it’s nothing short of revolutionary.
I have a dog, who can sadly rarely join me on my overseas adventures, and I rely on house sitters to take care of him, and my home, for extended periods. One of the main problems with this was having to leave a spare key with a friend, in case the house sitters lost theirs or locked themselves out.
Since installing smart door locks, rather than asking a trusted friend to be on call 24/7, I can now simply give my house sitters an access code, which I can change and control remotely from my device, from anywhere in the world. Plus, if necessary, I can arrange for different house sitters to arrive without having to be there in person, send a friend, or spend time scheduling a handover of keys.
Leaving house sitters with my home and beloved pets requires an element of trust, but smart door locks also mean I never have to worry about someone making a copy of my key, which is something that used to cross my mind more regularly than I’d like to admit. And though I don’t like to dwell on such a situation arising, it’s now possible for me to block access to house sitters remotely if things don’t work out, or if they have to leave unexpectedly.
Plus, when I’m lucky enough to take my dog with me on vacation, I can let people in on demand, whether it’s to water the plants, pick up my mail, or deal with an emergency situation, such as flooding, before too much damage is done.
On a daily basis, too, it’s changed my life. I never have to worry if I’ve forgotten my key (and I certainly don’t need to carry a bunch of keys around the world with me anymore), and if I get stuck away from home for longer than planned, I can easily arrange for a friend to stop by and take care of the dog.
Making the switch to smart door locks has made me realize just how much time and effort I spent thinking about door keys, and balancing security and safety with practical and domestic issues. Of all the technology that helps me travel with peace of mind, I never expected this to be the one that really made the difference.
The decision to start using smart technology might feel like a big step, but it doesn’t have to be. Connect with a Cox Homelife advisor to evaluate the needs of your home and lifestyle and personalize a Homelife package that will work best for you.
