According to the FBI, a burglary occurs every 15 seconds in the United States alone. Most of these burglaries are not the work of professionals, but of a male teenager living close to the victim’s home. These statistics show that, sadly, in today’s society, a home security system is a necessary component of owning a home. When it comes time to purchase a system, many people don’t know where to begin.
There are many different options when it comes to home security, and many of them will depend on individual circumstances and preferences. However, there are five facets of home security that everyone must consider:
1. Do-It-Yourself
With technological advances and an increase in the number of companies devoted to this, it is now possible for a homeowner to choose their own system and install it themselves. It’s not very difficult, and this option will save you money both on the system and the installation.
2. Hardwired or Wireless Security
Are you in the process of building your home or is it already completely built? If you are in the process of building your home, it is relatively easy to install a hardwired system. This doesn’t mean that you can’t install a hardwired system into an existing home. It does, however, mean that it will be more difficult, and many homeowners are unwilling to take on this more complicated project.
If your house is already built, it is much easier to install a wireless security system. In the past, these systems were known to be unreliable, but increased technology has eliminated the problems that existed in the older models.
3. Determining Coverage
This consideration is incredibly important. You need to determine the most likely areas for a burglar to enter your home. Make a list of all of the places that are vulnerable and need to be a part of your system. You should do the same thing on the inside of the home to determine rooms that need smoke detectors, carbon monoxide sensors, etc. Make a list of all of the items that you will need to effectively secure your home.
4. Selecting the Best Company for Your Needs
As you begin your research, you will most likely find many companies offering home security equipment. It’s important to find the company that is right for you. As a minimum, the company you choose should meet the following requirements. They should have the product offering that you want, plus additional accessories that you may wish to add at a later time. They should also have competitive prices and be willing to price match any company with a lower price. They should offer free technical support if you run into any problems while installing or programming your system. Finally, the company should have a solid reputation, confirmed by positive reviews from actual customers.
5. Monitoring
If you take the time and money to purchase a home security system, you need to have it monitored. Many homeowners choose to rely upon self-monitoring, where the system directly calls your phone in the event of an alarm. The problem with this choice is that you may miss the call; and even if you do receive it, emergency personal are less likely to respond to the call of a private individual who is not present at their home at the time of the call. The better option is to have a monitoring service that notifies a central monitoring station in the event of an alarm. They will notify police or fire who can immediately respond to the situation. Monitoring of this level is now available for less than ten dollars per month.
This is a basic outline of what to look for when choosing a home security system. There will be other options to consider when doing further research or actually purchasing a system.
By: Mark Riddle
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