A remarkable place for enjoying the sun, surf, and the Southern California upscale lifestyle, Newport Beach and its dazzling selection of mansions and grand estates never disappoint. This coastal city in Orange County is both a popular tourist attraction and a great place to live, especially among the well-heeled who prefer the tranquility of living by the beachfront and the activities to be experienced here.
With both residents and transients populating Newport Beach daily, it’s not surprising that some nefarious entities manage to mix with the crowd and become potential threats to properties and people. Thus, the need to fortify one’s home in Newport Beach with the latest smart tools for security and privacy purposes becomes an urgent concern.
On that note, let us delve deeper into the topic of adding an extra layer of security and privacy to protect you, your belongings, and your luxury home in Newport Beach from shady characters, trespassers, and the like with smart and efficient security systems.
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THE NEED TO BOOST SECURITY OF LUXURY HOMES IN NEWPORT BEACH
- High-value properties, inside and out
Newport Beach is well known for its high-end lifestyle and equally elegant luxury homes. Many of these Newport Beach, California mansions contain valuable assets such as fine art, luxury vehicles, and high-end electronics. This wealth can unfortunately make these homes attractive targets for burglars. By enhancing security measures, homeowners can create a protective barrier around their property, discouraging potential criminals.
- Privacy concerns
The prominence and grandeur of these high-end homes can attract unwanted attention from curious tourists and onlookers. Privacy becomes a commodity in such cases and it’s crucial to establish measures that ensure the exclusivity of your personal space.
- Increased insurance premiums
High-end homes in desirable locations like Newport Beach can attract higher insurance premiums due to their perceived risk. Insurers consider factors like location, property value, and existing security measures when determining premiums. By investing in advanced security systems and demonstrating that your property is less susceptible to break-ins, you can potentially lower these costs. It’s a proactive step that not only enhances security but also makes financial sense.
- Peace of mind
The importance of peace of mind cannot be overstated. When you know your home is secure, you can relax and enjoy the luxury and comfort it offers without worrying about potential threats. It’s about creating an environment where you, your family, and your guests can feel safe at all times.
Now that we’ve discussed why it’s a good idea to improve the security and privacy of your new luxury home in Newport Beach, how exactly do you go about making these improvements?
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HIGH-END PROPERTY’S SECURITY AND PRIVACY
Recognizing the perceived vulnerabilities of your luxury home gives you the initiative to take measures against potential threats. From the implementation of smart technology to landscape adjustments, these suggestions aim to provide the most effective methods for safeguarding your home without compromising its aesthetic appeal or your personal comfort.
- Install privacy glass around your home
Privacy glass is becoming more commonly used, especially among luxury homes like Newport Beach, California mansions. It is specifically designed to provide homeowners with the ability to enjoy their view while ensuring that those on the outside cannot see in.
Privacy glass also offers an excellent balance between enjoying natural sunlight and maintaining a high level of privacy. The secret behind this material is liquid crystals between two layers of glass that, when switched on, align themselves to let light pass through the glass, making it transparent. But when turned off, the liquid crystals block the light and essentially blur the glass.
Privacy glass for a house is not limited to just windows. These can also be used in bathrooms, bedrooms, sliding doors, and any other area that needs natural light but also requires privacy.
A viable alternative to privacy glass is window film, a thin laminate that can be applied to existing glass windows. It obscures the view from the outside, yet still allows light to enter the room. You may also use window shades and blinds.
- Opt for smart security systems
Many newly constructed luxury homes now come with smart home technology – among them, smart security systems. These are seen as essentials in modern living, not just to protect against unscrupulous characters but also to give homeowners peace of mind in the thought that they and their hard-earned possessions are kept safe within the home.
Luxury home security systems comprise various elements that work in unison to provide comprehensive security. Glass break sensors, for instance, are devices that can detect the sound or vibration of breaking glass. If a window or glass door is broken, the sensor triggers a loud alarm that alerts you and potentially scares off intruders.
Smart security cameras and doorbell cameras offer real-time surveillance capabilities. They can stream live footage directly to your smartphone or computer, allowing you to monitor your property from anywhere. Some of these cameras even come equipped with facial recognition technology. That means you could see who’s at the door even if you’re out of the house.
A panic button is another valuable component of a smart security system. In the event of a security breach or emergency, pressing the panic button can send an immediate alert to a monitoring center, private security service, or local authorities – thus, ensuring a rapid response.
The market is full of home security systems of varying complexities and capabilities. As such, it’s best to consult an expert in home security services to find out the best recommendations for your home’s exact needs.
- Add outdoor lighting
Larger homes tend to have more nooks and crannies on their exteriors and outdoor spaces that, at night, could turn into dark and nifty hiding places for intruders wanting to break in. As such, improving your outdoor lighting can significantly enhance the security of your home. By illuminating these dark crevices, you reduce the chances of unwanted individuals attempting to trespass on your property.
Before upgrading, check your existing outdoor lighting and see how well it illuminates your property. Pay close attention to corners and areas with shrubbery. List areas around your home that create too many shadows and blind spots – these are the areas you’ll want to add more lighting to.
As for lighting options, motion-sensing lights are a good choice as these activate when they detect movement, potentially startling intruders or even forcing them to abandon their original plans. These lights are best placed in darker areas of your home and in areas that you’ve identified as potential hiding spots.
- Invest in smart locks
Smart locks are a key component of modern smart home privacy and security systems. They offer a higher level of protection than traditional locks and come with a host of features that enhance both safety and convenience. A typical example is the keypad smart lock that requires a homeowner and their family to enter a passcode before being granted access. This passcode can only be shared among family members and other trusted individuals, essentially vetting the people allowed to enter the house.
The only issue with passcode-protected smart locks is the tendency for some people to forget the passcode. Thus, there is another type of smart lock that uses biometrics like fingerprints or facial recognition to ensure that only authorized individuals can gain entry – no need for passcodes. The best part about these locks is that owners of Newport Beach, California mansions can easily add and remove people with biometric access at any time via an app or from their computers.
There are also smart lock systems that can be controlled from anywhere using a smartphone app. This feature allows you to lock or unlock your doors remotely, providing peace of mind even when you are away from home.
- Consider redoing your home’s landscaping
Not all efforts to secure your home need to be high-tech – rethinking your outdoor spaces’ landscaping can be the perfect complement to your Newport Beach, California mansion’s smart security system. Not only can this approach help improve privacy but it can also help drive up the aesthetic appeal and value of your luxury home.
Strategic landscaping can act as a natural barrier against potential intruders. For instance, dense, thorny shrubs or hedges circling the perimeter of your home can be great deterrents for anyone who may want to trespass. Tall evergreen trees, meanwhile, are excellent for obscuring the view of your home from the street or neighboring properties, making it harder for prying eyes to see what’s going on within the confines of your property.
Another landscaping method involves stacking landscape elements – like shrubs or hedges – on top of non-living elements and structures such as stone walls or planters. For example, a tall, sturdy fence backed by a row of thick, thorny bushes can act as a formidable barrier.
- Don’t make it obvious when no one’s home
A home that appears vacant becomes an attractive target for burglars. This is an issue among Newport Beach, California mansions that are used primarily as vacation homes. Only occupied during holidays or school breaks, these homes are vacant for most of the year and incur a higher risk of break-ins. For homes like these, homeowners need to create the illusion of occupancy.
Timer-operated electronics can be remarkably effective in this regard. By setting lights, radios, or TVs to switch on and off at different times, you can give the impression that someone is home. If you have a number of items hooked up to a smart home assistant like Google Nest, you can program it to turn on lights and electronics automatically at set timeframes.
Meanwhile, for primary homes that will become vacant due to their owners going on an extended vacation, it may be a good idea to postpone any deliveries that may arrive while no one’s home. A stack of unattended packages or mail is a clear sign of an empty house. If delaying package delivery isn’t possible, having a family member or a trusted neighbor collect the mail or packages is a good option.
If you’re the one going on vacation, it’s best not to share your vacation plans on social media, especially if your profile is set to “public”. That way, you avoid virtually announcing to the public that you won’t be home for a while and keep the nasties away from your home and personal effects.
- Hide your spare key in a unique place
Many homeowners like to have a spare key hidden somewhere in the garden or underneath a pot near the front door in case they find themselves locked out. Convenient as this setup may seem, hiding these items in such common places can make your keys easier for burglars to find. As such, homeowners will need to think of more unique hiding spots.
Consider storing keys in a magnetic keyholder and then hiding them inside your barbecue grill. Not many burglars or would-be intruders would think of looking in such a spot. As for magnetic keyholders, you can easily purchase these in any hardware store in Newport Beach.
Alternatively, you may want to try hiding your keys and access passes inside a fake sprinkler head. This is especially effective if you already have an automated sprinkler system installed as the fake one will be able to blend in better.
- Keep valuables out of sight
Valuables displayed in plain view are as good as beacons for shady characters. If you want to make sure your home doesn’t fall prey to these individuals, make sure that these items are not easily visible from windows or doors.
Apart from the earlier-mentioned window treatments and privacy glass for obscuring the view of your interiors, another strategy to keep prying eyes away is by strategically arranging your home’s interior. Avoid placing expensive electronics, such as large-screen TVs, high-end audio systems, or gaming consoles, near windows where they can be easily seen. This is especially true when these items are near ground-floor windows. The same goes for pricey personal items like designer accessories, jewelry, or artwork. It’s best to position these items in parts of the house that are not immediately visible from the outside.
You may also want to invest in a high-quality home safe to store valuables like jewelry, cash, important documents, and other expensive keepsakes. This assures you that these valuables are kept out of sight unless you need them and that even in the event of a break-in, intruders won’t easily be able to get to these items.
SAFEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA
If large-scale security and privacy are what you’re after in Newport Beach, then you’ll do well to find your new luxury home among the upscale neighborhoods that are deemed safe and family-friendly. Here are some great recommendations, according to Neighborhood Scout:
- Newport Coast. Homebuyers who are interested in a family-friendly atmosphere should take a look at the affluent neighborhood of Newport Coast. You’re bound to find spacious and stately mansions here that offer breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Newport Coast is also where you’ll find several exclusive enclaves and gated communities like Pelican Hill, Pelican Crest, and Crystal Cove.
- Harbor Ridge. Nestled between the San Joaquin Reservoir and San Miguel Drive, Harbor Ridge stands as a picturesque gated neighborhood that boasts breathtaking views of the majestic ocean and enchanting Catalina Island. This vibrant community, dedicated to family-centric living, features expansive lots, refreshing pools, and well-maintained tennis courts, providing a myriad of recreational choices that cater to all age groups.
- Big Canyon. Big Canyon stands as a preferred neighborhood of many corporate bigwigs. Serving as its primary attraction is the prestigious Big Canyon Country Club and its highly rated 18-hole, par-72 private golf course. This established golf community has been around since the ‘70s and brings its residents close to the city’s best retail and dining options.
- Lido Isle. Situated in the northwest region of Newport Harbor, Lido Isle is an upscale waterfront community developed on a manmade island that emerged from the once-uninhabited mudflats and sandbars of the early 1900s. As one of California’s pioneering master-planned communities, it exudes a remarkable charm and resembles a tropical oasis similar to the renowned resorts of the Caribbean. The name, “Lido Isle” pays homage to the captivating Italian resort town of Lido di Venezia.
FIND THE PERFECT MIX OF SAFETY, PRIVACY, AND LUXURY IN NEWPORT BEACH
If you’re browsing the Newport Beach, California real estate market for grand mansions, waterfront homes, and the like, make sure to have a reliable local specialist in niche properties like luxury homes working by your side. Let me, Newport Beach luxury Realtor Georgina Jacobson, be that person to help you out in your home-buying journey. My commitment is to provide you with bespoke VIP-level service that puts your wants and needs first.
Call me at 949.285.8380 or send a message here to get you started on finding your dream home in Newport Beach.