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    Smart and safe home sharing

    May 30, 2017 3:20 PM by emily.bailey

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017

    Eliminate worrying how your guests will make it through the front door when you home share. 

     

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    Home-sharing sites like Airbnb, VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner) and HomeAway are popular choices for travelers looking for an authentic experience in a new city or something a little more price friendly than a hotel. But as a home-share host, there are a lot of things to take into consideration before opening your home to renters. Most sites provide thorough home-hosting checklists to ensure that you will be comfortable as a host.  A lot of those things revolve around making sure your guests will be comfortable and have all of the amenities they need. When hosting, it is generally smart that you include basics like bed sheets, a wi-fi password and where the extra toilet paper is. But the most important consideration is getting your guests through the front door.

     

    Are you planning on being home to let them in? Will they need you every time they want to come in and out? Will you give them a spare key to your house? That could lead to a lot of problems, like them copying your key, guests waiting at your door, or you losing sleep. Thankfully, Schlage’s keyless locks are the perfect solution for these problems.

    AirBnb - Smart locks - Schlage;

    Don’t worry about being home for check-in

    You won’t ever have to be home for your guests to check-in again. With an electronic lock, you no longer have to give your guest the keys in person. For example, with the Schlage Sense Smart DeadboltTM, you can program a different code for each guest from your smartphone. With their own personal code, your guests can get in and out without you giving them a key or needing a lock box.

     

    Pro Hosting Tip: Using the Schlage Sense iPhone App,you can be in total control of your home using the device that’s already in your pocket.

    No learning curve

    One of the best things about Schlage electronic locks is that there is no learning curve for your guests. You don’t have to ask them to download and familiarize themselves with an app prior to arriving at your house. And you don’t have to teach them any difficult technical skills to interact with your lock. With many of the Schlage locks, like the Schlage ConnectTM, all your guest needs to do to get in the door is enter their code into the illuminated touchscreen.

     

    Pro Hosting Tip: To keep codes organized, memorable and personal, program the guest’s code as the final four digits of their phone number.

    Know your house is safe

    The best part about using an electronic lock when putting your house on Airbnb, or similar house-sharing sites, is the added layer of safety that it brings. Locks like the Schlage TouchTM take electronic locks one step further by eliminating keys entirely. Not only will your guests feel safer in your home, knowing that you created a lock code specifically for them, but you can also feel safer knowing that with no keyhole, there is no lock for intruders to pick. Schlage electronic locks make hosting home-share guests an easy experience.

     

    Pro Hosting Tip: With Schlage locks like the Sense and Connect, you can set time frames for each code so that as guests leave, their code will expire and they cannot get back into your house.

     

    Have you used a wireless lock while hosting with Airbnb before? Share your hosting tips with us on Facebook.

    Improve home security while boosting curb appeal

    May 16, 2017 9:39 AM by emily.bailey

    Tuesday, May 16, 2017

    4 easy ways to improve home security while boosting curb appeal

    Making a good first impression is important. Whether it's potential buyers or family and friends, your home's curb appeal is the first thing people will notice about your home.

     

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    Making a good first impression is important. Whether it’s potential buyers or family and friends, your home’s curb appeal is the first thing that people will notice about your home. But just as important ­­­is making sure that your home is safe. So, we’ve put together a list of things that you can do to improve both curb appeal and your home’s security.
     

    Landscape

    Landscaping is probably the first thing on everyone’s list when thinking of ways to improve curb appeal. There are a lot of ways to update your landscape and improve the look of your house ranging from fast and inexpensive to big projects that can take time and possibly require outside help. Some of our favorite, smaller projects to quickly improve your garden area are these Better Homes and Gardens suggestions for re-edging your garden plots and creating a new container garden.

     

    While you’re at it, there are also a couple of things that you can do to your landscape to make your home safer. One of those things is trimming your hedges to make sure that they aren’t blocking the sight line to your windows or door. This removes the possibility of an intruder hiding in plain sight of your home. Another thing you can do, especially if you are planning on going out of town, is to make sure that your lawn is maintained. An unkempt lawn can be an invitation to thieves.

    Garage

    Fixing up your garage may not be the top priority when it comes to updating the exterior of your home, but it is a great way to increase your home’s security. Older garage doors may be easier to break into or open from the outside, and some states have standards for garage doors to make sure that they are able to stand up to the weather. If you haven’t ever replaced your garage door, it may not be up to safety standards. Also consider adding a Schlage Touch to your garage door. The keyless deadbolt adds another layer of security to your home without adding an extra key onto your ring.

     

    There are also some easy and affordable projects that you can do for your garage to give it a whole new, more welcoming look. One of our favorites is this faux wood garage door stain from Domestically Speaking. We also love this DIY arbor project that would definitely up your curb appeal.

    Door

    Having a welcoming entrance may be the most important aspect of your home’s curb appeal. Your front door can make or break someone’s impression of your home, so updating it is a quick way to drastically improve the look of your home. You don’t have to get a new front door to make it feel like new though, a coat of paint can do wonders. We suggest painting the door a contrasting color to your house like Camila Pavone did for her front door. While you’re at it, replacing your house numbers can add some extra personality to your front entrance.

     

    Replacing the hardware on your front door is another way to both improve the look of your home and increase security. The Schlage Sense™ Smart Deadbolt is easily installed and not only makes carrying your house keys around unnecessary, it also comes with a built-in alarm to protect your home from any unwanted visitors.

    Lights

    Once you’ve done all the work to improve your home’s curb appeal, it would be a waste if guests could only see it in the daylight. After all, guests tend to come over in the evening. Outdoor lighting can help to highlight all of the best features of your house and yard. Get some outdoor lighting ideas from the DIY Network.

     

    Maybe you don’t have a lot of evening guests or you aren’t all that worried about making sure that people see your landscaping at night. Before dismissing outdoor lighting, consider that a well-lit house is also a deterrent for thieves. Landscape lighting can get rid of the dark areas in your yard that could hide an intruder.

    Have you taken your home’s curb appeal to the next level? Share what you’ve done on our Facebook and Instagram pages for a chance to be featured on our Instagram!

    12 reasons why a smart lock may be the perfect Mother's Day gift

    May 5, 2017 5:15 AM by emily.bailey

    Friday, May 5, 2017

    Mother's Day gift ideas

    Give mom the gift of convenience and peace of mind this Mother's Day. Here are 12 ways a smart lock can make her day a little easier.

     

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    We all know that moms deserve so much and more for everything they sacrifice and do for their families. This year, let mom know how much you care by giving her the gift of convenience and peace of mind with a smart, keyless lock. Here are 12 reasons why this could be the perfect gift for Mother's Day.
    Smart Mother's Day gift ideas

    1. For the working mom

    Help mom know exactly when the kids get home from school by setting up alerts that notify her when the door is unlocked. She can even have a custom code for the nanny, dog walker and grandparents so they can easily come and go.

    2. For the mom always juggling a million things at once

    With a smart lock, mom doesn't need to worry about juggling the kids, groceries, shopping bags, mail and fumbling for her keys. With the touch of a button on her smart phone, she can command her deadbolt to lock and unlock. With the Schlage Sense Smart deadbolt, she can even ask Siri to unlock the door as she approaches.

    3. For the mom on the go

    Schlage's connected locks are each equipped with a customizable auto-lock feature. Mom can set her deadbolt to automatically lock after being unlocked for a certain period of time which means she can continue her day without worrying whether or not the last kid out the door locked the deadbolt.

    4. For the tech loving mom

    Help mom get one step closer to a fully automated home. Whether she's a HomeKitTM fanatic or prefers a voice activated smart home with Amazon Alexa, there's a smart lock that's perfect for her.

    5. For the mom with older kids

    Remove mom's worry that one of the kids will lose their key at recess or on the bus and get rid of that spare key that's never hidden really well. With a smart lock, each child can have his/her own access code that's easy for them to remember and gives mom peace of mind.

    6. For the exhausted mom

    There's nothing worse than for an exhausted mom to finally crawl into a warm cozy bed only to worry she may have left the front door unlocked. With a smart lock, she can easily command her door to lock from the comfort of her bed and avoid disturbing any sleeping children at the same time.

    7. For the active mom

    Give your mom the freedom to go for a run or walk without getting weighed down by keys. With Schlage's keyless locks, there's flexibility to choose how you access your home so she can leave the phone behind and use a keyless code instead.

    8. For the mom with a vacation home

    Make it easy for your mom to give access to guests via custom keycodes that can easily be added and removed from the app. She can even apply a schedule to the codes so they automatically become inactive upon checkout.

    9. For the mom who just moved to a new home

    Give mom the peace of mind that comes with a lock graded best in security, durability and finish by the BHMA. Just look for the AAA on the BHMA certified secure home label on packaging.

    10. For the mom with curious toddlers

    With Schlage's built-in alarm technology, mom can set her lock to activity mode to alert her anytime the door is opened. She also never has to worry about accidentally getting locked out - whether the kids are inside or on the outside of the door with her just waiting for the impending meltdown.

    11. For the brand new mom

    Make it easy for friends and family to swing by with food and gifts for the new parents by unlocking and locking the door from anywhere. No need for a recovering mom with a sleeping baby to answer the door.

    12. For the empty-nester mom

    Set up mom's smart home automation so she never walks into a dark home when unlocking her door. She can also assign a custom code for the handyman or other service personnel that may be in and out of her home, freeing her to enjoy the empty-nester life away from the home.

    How are you planning to show mom how much you care this year? Share your gift ideas with us on Twitter and Facebook!

    7 most Instagram-worthy front doors

    May 3, 2017 7:08 AM by emily.bailey

    Wednesday, May 3, 2017

    7 most Instagram-worthy front doors

    Get some real-world inspiration for your front door makeover with a few of our favorite Instagram-worthy looks.

     

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    We love seeing our door hardware out in the real world and think our customers have some of the best style! We gathered up the most Instagram-worthy front door styles to help inspire your front door makeover this spring. Share your front doors with us by tagging us on Instagram or Twitter for a chance to be featured!