We all get this nagging feeling at times. We walk into our home, and there is something off, yet we can’t put our finger on what exactly it is. Perhaps a gate was opened. Or perhaps there is some noise outside. Maybe there is a package waiting for us on the doorstep that seems larger than usual. Our homes cannot talk, but once we begin adding some thought-provoking updates to our homes, they will give us valuable clues before small issues escalate into big ones.
Photo by Alan J. Hendry on Unsplash
Identify the Everyday Routines of Your Home
A “sixth sense” home isn’t about installing a lot of gadgets throughout your home. It begins by identifying your typical pattern of activity. How many hours per day does your front door normally open? How long is the driveway typically unoccupied? Which side entrance do you use the majority of the time?
Knowing these patterns allows you to recognize the anomalies. This may include motion lights turning on near the garage, smart doorbells sending an alert when someone comes close, or security cameras positioned so as to provide you with visibility of the area surrounding your home, while minimizing how “watched over” your home makes you feel.
Concentrate On Blind Spots Around Your Home
In general, almost everyone’s homes have some degree of blindness. The side pathway. The back gate. The darkest corner near the trash. The area of the driveway is out of sight from within your windows. These are the areas that tend to create feelings of uneasiness until something happens, and then you realize you did not even notice them before that moment.
Lighting can help eliminate those feelings immediately. Pruning back overly large plants and checking locks, and maintaining clear paths of access through your home’s entrances can also help. You desire your home to be open enough for you to observe movement but closed enough for you to maintain privacy and still enjoy your quiet space.
Use Small Clues To Make Big Differences
You don’t need to be constantly checking your mobile device. In fact, doing so could counteract the purpose of having such technology installed in your home.
Pick the alerts that truly matter. An unusual door opening during night hours. Someone is approaching your driveway. Delivery is being made to your address. A window is being left open ahead of rain. Smaller notifications allow you to react calmly as opposed to speculating, worrying, and frantically running around later.
Maintain Comfort As Your Priority
While creating a safer environment in your home should remain a priority, it doesn’t necessarily mean your home needs to lose its warmth.
Practical features can be softened through thoughtful designs. Install softer outdoor bulb options instead of harsher white lighting options. Opt for clean lines on devices that fit into your exterior aesthetic. Design welcoming entry points as opposed to fortresses.
Your ultimate goal is not to make your home wary of the world; it is simply to create awareness of what matters to you in your home.
Quietly Build Confidence
As your home develops into an increasingly reliable companion for your daily life, day-to-day activities become easier.
That’s what we see as the actual essence of the sixth sense, not panic or pandemonium, but a new level of awareness that allows your home to be calmer, more responsive, and ultimately, more caring about protecting you.