Skip to main content

Five Resolutions That a Smart Home Helps You Keep

New Year's resolutions can be hard work. Being more organized, managing your budget more efficiently, or taking care of routine tasks more regularly is easier said than done.

However, a smart home can do a lot of this work for you. When used to its full potential, an Alarm.com smart home system helps you save energy, easily manage and automate things around your home, and protect it against a range of potential problems. For you, that means time and money saved, peace of mind, and more enjoyment of your home.

Here are some resolutions that an Alarm.com smart home will help you keep in 2015.

Take Control of Your Life

To take more control of your life, start with your home. It's easy to do with Alarm.com's powerful and highly intelligent smartphone app. This portable command center gives you complete control of your Alarm.com-powered devices, from locks and lights to thermostat and video cameras, from the palm of your hand.

It's also your home's hotline to you, letting you know what's going on with real-time notifications. These include security reminders, temperature alerts, video clips and everything else you might want to know. You can easily set up and manage notifications to get the information you need to stay in control.

Be More Accessible to People You Love

With a smart home, being more accessible starts with making it easy for the right people to get in. Whether you have just an interactive security system, or you've also added connected locks, Alarm.com makes it easy with unique user codes that give different people different levels of access.

For example, you can crate a unique code for your teenager, enabling them unlock your front door's keyless smart lock and turn off the alarm. You can have your system automatically notify you when they're home, for additional peace of mind. Create a code for every member of your family and you'll always be able to tell who's using the system.

For temporary access – say for a contractor or pet-sitting neighbor, it's easy to create a time-restricted user code that expires when they no longer need to enter your home.

Focus on the Things That Matter Most

It's easy to get overloaded with information that doesn't matter, especially with your home. With Alarm.com, you can filter out what doesn't matter by setting up alerts for only the events you need to know about.

For example, you can choose to be alerted when:

  • Your front door opens when you're at work
  • You leave home without arming your security system
  • Someone changes your thermostat temperature
  • Someone opens a desk drawer in your home office
  • Your outdoor camera records a motion-triggered video clip

Save Time and Energy

An Alarm.com smart home can do many of the everyday tasks that eat into your time, automating your lights, locks, thermostat, video cameras and more with a range of smart ‘rules'. These rules can also help you go greener by saving energy on your HVAC system and other devices.

There are several rule types, including:

Time-based: a rule based on time and date.

For example, use smart plugs to automatically switch off devices that consume power at times when you're not using them. Cable boxes are often on when they aren't needed, so set a rule to turn the cable box in the basement off between Monday and Friday.

Location-based: a rule based on where you are, based on your smartphone location.

For example: to save energy on heating and cooling, set your thermostat to switch to ‘savings mode' when you're a mile into your commute to work. (Don't have a smart thermostat connected yet? You can get one from your Alarm.com service provider.)

Trigger-based: a rule based on another device's activity.

For example: set your doors to lock and your thermostat to turn down when you arm your security system.

The more you automate your devices, the more combinations you'll discover. It's one of the most important (and fun) ways to get more from your smart home.

Try Something New

The more smart devices you have in your home, the more you can do – and a great benefit of Alarm.com is that it's easy to add a new device when you need one. Here are a few to consider this year.

  • Smart lighting that turns on when you open your front door
  • Keyless smart locks that let you ditch the door keys
  • A smart garage door opener
  • An award-winning smart thermostat
  • A water sensor for your basement floor


We're adding new devices to the Alarm.com ecosystem all the time, so ask your Alarm.com service provider what's new.

6 (Bonus Resolution): Keep Up With The News!

Keep up with Alarm.com blog post because we will be bringing you more tips and tutorials to turn your house into the smartest home on the blog block. To avoid missing out, check out our blog every week, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Happy New Year!

Ready to go?

Alarm.com technology is sold, installed and serviced by licensed service providers near you.

Let's Get Started