SMART HOME SECURITY The market is also flooded with do-it-yourself house-monitoring options like Canary and SimpliSafe, which tend to be cheaper than traditional systems like ADT, but are often less comprehensive.
LiveWatch includes a touch-screen control panel and a smartphone app. It sells add-ons like cameras, garage door openers and smart locks. The system starts at $99, plus $35 a month for the basic monitoring plan.
A Ring video doorbell, starting at $199, alerts you to visitors or package deliveries. Ooma, the internet phone company, sells sensors that detect motion, water and if doors or windows are open. The starter kit costs $130.
LOCK IT UP Cameras and sensors will do little to protect you if you leave a door or window open. An open window provides easy access for not only human intruders, but also pests like bugs and rodents. Should it rain, you could come home to a soggy windowsill and damaged floors. So, at the very least, close the windows and doors.
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