High-end UPGRADES

For most people, the home is their family’s most significant asset. Upgrading is a smart approach to protecting and growing the value of that investment.

Home upgrades come in all shapes and sizes, from minor landscaping projects to large-scale security installations. When looking to make an impact, it’s smart to opt for high-end upgrades such as those that boost security or enhance the technologic features of your home.

These upgrades not only lend an upscale feel, but can bring families peace of mind while enhancing the ways to enjoy their home.

Home security

Whether you’re aiming for a stronger sense of personal safety or extra protection for your valuable possessions, today’s security systems take home monitoring to a whole new level. Basic keypad alarms have been replaced by a host of features, such as silent alarms that allow authorities to catch a burglar in action; cameras that allow you to monitor the premises from inside the home or while you’re away using a connected device; motion detectors that simultaneously trigger exterior and interior lights while activating security cameras and more. There is no one solution for every home, but a home security expert can talk through your concerns and guide you to the system that best fits your needs.

Standby generators

When seasonal weather or other circumstances cause power outages, the impact on a home and family can range from inconvenient to unsafe. A standby generator system keeps a household humming even when the power is out – automatically. An important feature to look for is power management technology, which manages the power balancing act that is your home’s appliances.

For example, Briggs & Stratton Fortress standby generators are equipped with Symphony II Power Management, which lets homeowners prioritize what in their home they need powered by proactively monitoring and managing the home’s backup power needs, allowing for whole-house power with a more affordable generator. This power management system also uses remote power-switching modules that are installed directly to a home’s existing wiring, to help reduce installation costs. For more information about standby generator systems and their features, visit powernow.com.

Wireless automation

You may think of it as just a phone, but the tiny computer you carry every day packs the power to control an ever-growing segment of your home. Using an app on your smartphone, tablet or computer, you can control everything from your locks and lights to the temperature setting on your thermostat. What’s more, you can create settings that integrate multiple functions to set the perfect ambiance for whatever you have in mind. Planning on a movie night? Cue the movie setting, with dimmed lights, blinds lowered and the TV powered on. Hosting a party? Count on your custom entertaining setup, with lighting in all your guest-friendly rooms, lively music playing on your whole-home sound system and a lower temperature to keep things cool as the party heats up.

The options are nearly endless when it comes to elevating your home’s features. By combining practical functions and indulgent improvements, you can take your homeowner satisfaction to new heights.