How to Protect Yourself and Your Luxury Home Like a Boss

Wealthy people can be . . . well, a bit paranoid when it comes to personal security. We’ve heard moguls boast of secret properties in New Zealand to which they will flee when the [fill in the blank] apocalypse arrives. But putting aside those perhaps unwarranted concerns, how do people of reasonable means protect themselves, their families and their property? What are the best luxury home security devices and technology right now? Our ace correspondent Julie Chang Murphy breaks it down for us. Here’s how to protect yourself and your luxury home like a boss.

the best luxury home security devices and technology

home security can be a cinematic dilemma

The world of home security for the rich and famous can resemble something out of a summer blockbuster movie. The players are royalty, billionaires and oligarchs. And the dastardly burglars, kidnappers and pirates who lie in wait. Cue TV news coverage of anchors reporting on a confluence of natural disasters, class warfare, terrorism and cyber attacks. The screens turn to static as an eerie silence blankets the land. An apocalypse is on the horizon.

But in this version of survival of the fittest, our protagonists rely on their booby-trapped mansions. Complete with panic rooms, biometric scans and even chemical fog blasters for protection.

real world concerns about home safety

It’s common for prominent families to spend anywhere from $150,000 for entry-level protection to $1 million a year for comprehensive white glove security measures. Chalk it up to one of the consequences of being a member of the 1%.

And while some elements of their security systems might seem a little too dystopian for the average homeowner, the rest of us do share one thing in common with these titans of industry. We all want to have an utmost feeling of security when we’re inside our homes. No matter how cozy or grand.

solutions for every price point

We’re doing a deep dive into the analog and digital security measures that are employed by those who have the most to lose. The good news? Many of the latest technological advancements in luxury home security and devices have already trickled down to more affordable price points. It’s a good reminders of the commonsense means we can all deploy to feel safe at home. 

Join us for a home tour — the elite edition. Room by room, here’s the latest in luxury home security.

how to protect yourself and your luxury home like a boss

1. how to protect a luxury home: The Front Door and other entrances

According to burglary statistics from the FBI, 34% of burglars enter homes through the front door. The mechanical lock has been virtually unchanged since the late 1800’s. Most doors still rely on the technology of the simple but effective pin and tumbler mechanism. Rich tycoons, though, secure their front doors with state-of-the-art technology.

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In some cases, the doors themselves are the barrier. The ones built by Skydas, for example, are capable of shielding any type of bullet.

Other tools? A biometric system that operates with approved fingerprints, retinal scanner or facial recognition. For added security and backup, homeowners often add a passcode or RFID (radio frequency identification) card in conjunction with a bio scan.

more affordable options

We don’t blame you if you think this all sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. But these systems and other smart locks are all currently available on the retail market. And available for the average homeowner.

The latest smart locks offer things like voice activation, geo-fencing, and auto-locking features. For example, with voice activation you simply tell your phone to “unlock the front door.” And the lock will disengage.

Can’t remember if you locked up? Use the mobile app to set up a perimeter around your house.  And use your phone’s location services to pinpoint your exact location. When you leave the perimeter, the lock automatically engages behind you.

Just don’t forget your phone! But if you do, an auto-lock feature will automatically engage the lock after it has been unlocked for a specified period of time. Sounds like an ideal remedy for the scatterbrains, right? Or as I like to call it euphemistically, the “multi-taskers” among us.

Other discreet features to consider are keyless touchpads, tamper and forced entry alarms that warn of possible break-ins, text notifications that will inform you who is coming and going in real time, and even locks with built-in cameras.

Some of the most highly rated smart locks on the market right now by tech magazines like PCMag, CNet and Wirecutter are the August Smart Lock ($229) and the Yale YRD256 Assure Connected ($249.99). Both allow users to control and monitor their doors from anywhere. If you’re a lover of the biometric trend, Samsung’s SHS-P718 LMK Digital Door Lock ($419) is consistently given top marks.

Early in 2020, August debuted a new Wi-Fi Smart Lock that is 45% smaller than its older, popular smart locks. And it has built-in Wi-Fi, so you no longer need an August Connect Wi-Fi bridge to lock and unlock the smart lock remotely.

The new Level Lock, also unveiled at CES 2020, is billed as “the world’s first invisible smart lock.” It hides inside your door, replacing only the internal components of your existing lock. So you can continue to use your regular set of keys. But with this device, you can share access through the app, remotely unlock, set up a geofence to unlock the door, and use your phone for keyless entry. It’s powered by a CR2 lithium battery. 

The ordinary-looking Shepherd Lock turns your existing deadbolt into a touch-entry lock using a touch sensor. When your phone, smart watch or key fob is within range, the lock’s Bluetooth transmitter senses it. Then, touch the deadbolt to open the door, and touch again when you’re leaving to lock it.

2. how to protect a luxury home: The Master Bedroom

Master bedrooms are usually the most common room for a burglar to target. Think about where you keep your own jewelry and valuables. While some high net-worth individuals have panic or safe rooms on each floor, typically the master bedroom will double as the home’s safe room.

Though safe rooms were memorialized as Brutalist, jail cell-like cubes in the 2002 Jodie Foster thriller, “Panic Room,” in reality, they usually blend into rest of the home. After all, no one wants to feel like they’re living in a detention facility.

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There are security firms that specialize in building fortified rooms into residential properties, like Gaffco Ballistics and Safe. The covert room can be built with bullet- and bomb-proof walls, windows, ceilings and floors. And then covered in appealing mahogany panels or chinoiserie wallpaper.

In addition, state-of-the-art safe rooms can withstand chemical attacks and air-borne toxins through the installation of bio-defense ventilation systems to provide safe, clean air. And as part of a comprehensive security plan, typically a week’s worth of food and supplies will be stored in the safe room so its inhabitants can live comfortably until the threat is vanquished. 

more affordable options

If this has you feeling a little uneasy, since you’re only living in a house of bricks (and not bricks lined with steel and Kevlar), we understand. The easiest and most effective way to protect your luxury home like a boss without completely gutting and renovating it is to replace the bedroom door. 

There is a difference between inside doors and outside doors. Typically, outside doors are built for insulation and security, and made with one solid piece of thick wood. Interior doors are designed with hollow cores and meant to provide privacy and some sound buffering, but not necessarily security. Ask any family with rowdy teenagers or a rambunctious dog and you’ll know how easily these doors can be kicked or punched through.

While you’re replacing the door, you’ll need to reinforce the door frame as well. In modern homes, this upgrade is usually sold with the door. A deadbolt lock or one of the systems mentioned previously doesn’t hurt either.

It’s also a good idea to have a safe bolted to your closet floor. This isn’t necessarily for your jewelry or electronics, which should all be covered under your home insurance. The biggest concern these days is identity theft. Passports, credit card statements, boxes of blank checks and other important documents are all a burglar needs to complicate your life exponentially.

Some of the best luxury home security safes available right now are: Steelwater Fireproof Safe which can withstand a 2-hour fire ($399), Verifi Smart Safe ($299) with fingerprint sensor and BrownSafe (prices vary) which offer standard and custom vaults that are elegant and lovely to look while having a stellar reputation for biometric security.

Of course, if you’ve always dreamed of having a home with secret passages and hidden rooms, check out Creative Home Engineering. They offer custom projects, and also sell ready-made decoy doors that look like bookcases, mirrors and fireplaces.

3. how to protect a luxury home: The Grounds

In medieval times, lords and ladies relied on the protection of drawbridges and moats. I was disappointed to learn that these were never actually filled with ferocious and hungry crocodiles. These days, to protect a luxury home like a boss, you need an arsenal of state-of-the-art security to keep trespassers from invading their privacy.

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Surveillance cameras are not all the same. The latest models use night vision as well as FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) technology to detect unusual movements and presences. These cameras, according to Troon Pacific, a builder of luxury properties on the West Coast, also have the capacity to follow particular individuals throughout the property. They have long-term storage capabilities, as well.

To ensure that these security systems are fortified against being hacked and compromised (so that the homeowner becomes the one being surveilled), white glove security firms like TorchStone, can bolster the firewalls.

Finally, the new Sunflower Labs Bee Autonomous Security drone program sounds positively cinematic. The company’s camera-equipped drones look like bees. If trespassers step onto your lawn, a “bee” flies out from its resting place (“the Hive”) to take a look and then streams the live video to your phone. That seems either really clever, or really creepy. Or perhaps both. The system is available for pre-order at a starting price of $10,000, with a $999 deposit. Sound a little pricey? The chief executive of Sunflower Labs says the Bee can also double as a party photographer for outdoor bashes.

more affordable options

Luckily there are a few unassuming, self-monitoring and easy to set-up home surveillance systems that can provide peace of mind.Among the best luxury home security devices, Nest Cam is the iPhone of home security surveillance at this point. It delivers videos straight to your home, and also detects motion and loud noises. ($169 for one camera to $864 for pack of 6). Another well-respected option is the Arlo Pro 3 ($328), which is weatherproof and delivers excellent quality 1080p video.

At CES 2020, Arlo launched its first wireless floodlight camera, with night vision, a siren, two-way audio to converse with intruders and an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust its brightness.

The Abode Outdoor/Indoor Smart Camera ($199) is a weather-resistant security camera that can be hard-wired like a doorbell, or plugged into a nearby power outlet.

4. how to protect a luxury home: Packages and deliveries

At CES 2020, Yale (the company you know for security locks) unveiled secure delivery boxes, cabinet locks and smart safes. All are compatible with the Yale Access mobile app and Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridges so you can monitor your devices remotely and share access with others (like a trusted delivery person).

Another option for package and other protection is the Ring Spotlight Cam ($199). It provides high-quality video footage and also features a 110-decibel siren, which you can sound manually if you spot something suspicious. The camera also has a built-in motion detector that will shine lights and begin recording video whenever motion is detected. Two-way audio allows you to see, hear, and speak to people who are at your home, using your iOS or Android smartphone, tablet, or Mac or PC laptop.

the best luxury home security

There you have it. Some folks need their ballistic doors and secret rooms. Others are content to have a security camera at the door to make sure their package from Net-a-Porter isn’t snatched. Me, I’m still waiting for a moat with snapping crocodiles. At any rate, we all deserve to feel safe in our home sweet homes. We hope this round-up of the best in luxury home security devices and technology will give you everything you need to know to protect your luxury home like a boss.

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Crediting her training as a cultural anthropologist at Wellesley College, Julie has immersed herself in various industries in the last 15 years including fashion design, event planning, fitness and even investigating police misconduct. Julie lives in NYC where she loves trying every ramen and dumpling restaurant with her husband and three children. She finds joy in bold prints, biographies of fierce women, kickboxing and spending way too long finding the perfect polish color to express her mood.

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