Thanks to Cox Homelife for partnering with me on this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
Until we bought The Cozy Ranch, Craig and I never thought about home security, didn’t even cross my mind honestly. And then the realities of homeownership started to sink in. I will never forget being away last winter and the day after we left there was a really bad storm. Howling winds, freezing temperatures and lots and lots of snow. We could barely enjoy ourselves because we spent the entire time stressing out about the house, and we had no way to check in on it (at our last apartment the pipes froze while we were away and it was a NIGHTMARE). So when Cox Homelife reached out to partner and have us try out their Security and Automation system it was a no brainer. Honestly we were both a little hesitant about an alarm system, neither of us have ever had or used one before. We were mostly nervous we’d set off the alarm by accident and have the cops show up at our house, haha. It’s not a big deal if that does happen though, the monitoring center will call you and when you confirm it’s not an emergency they will not get emergency dispatch. After using Cox Homelife for a few months, we’re now wondering how we ever lived without it. Installation was super simple and easy, the techs that came to install the system were really helpful and walked us through everything including all the features. It has made our lives so much easier and has given me great peace of mind, especially when we are traveling. Here’s some of my favorite features.
Security Cameras
You know my favorite part is going to be the fact that I can watch Nora, Fuji and Hunter on camera, 24/7. We have cameras installed inside and outside and both can be accessed on my phone from the Cox Homelife app. Which means when we leave I can still keep tabs on the animals. I can also monitor what’s going on outside, when packages are being delivered, if coyotes are in our yard (yes this has happened numerous times). The indoor camera isn’t hard wired so I can unplug it and move it around the house to any room I want which is super convenient. I also have the option to record so I can go back and check over a certain period of time if need be.
Cox Homelife App and Scenes
Being able to do everything from my phone on the Cox Homelife app is pretty awesome. When I’m home I can use “scenes” which allow me to, with the push of a button, control multiple features in the house. For example, my Good Morning Scene turns on the kitchen light, disarms the security system, and turns up the heat (we turn it down at night so it’s pretty chilly in the morning). I can of course also unlock and lock the door, check the cameras, arm/disarm the system, turn on/off our smart lights, control the thermostat, and it monitors our carbon monoxide detector.
Keypad Door Lock
This has been an absolute game changer, especially for letting people in and out of the house and not having to worry about keys. I can create unique one time use codes, and I can also lock/unlock the door with my phone. Even if I’m 3000 miles away, I can lock or unlock the door from my phone, it’s pretty awesome.
Smart Lights
We have three smart lights installed, one in the kitchen, one on the back porch and one in front of the garage. The best thing about them is that I can control them from my phone, so when I pull into the driveway at night I can turn on the lights so it’s not pitch black. If I hop in bed at night and forget to turn a light off, I can just do it from my phone.
Thanks to Cox Homelife for partnering with me on this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
