A reliable home security system will give you peace of mind, and help to protect your valuable possessions and the people you love the most. But what about the cost you might wonder? Isn’t a decent home security system expensive? Well, yes – it is. Proven and reputable home security systems are costly, but consider the alternative: if you don’t install a home security alarm system, it could end up costing you even more. If you still need convincing, or believe that the costs of installing security in your home would be prohibitive, then consider the following 9 points carefully before you make a final decision.
Home security systems can help to protect your home and family from intruder threat
The biggest reason why home owners should consider installing a home security system is that it can offer protection to family members from intruders. Statistics show that homes without security systems are 2.7 times more likely to be targeted by a burglar. Does the presence of an alarm guarantee that your house will not be targeted? Of course not, but evidence indicates that the mere presence of an alarm system is a sufficient deterrent in the majority of cases to protect the home and its occupants from break-in. Only hardened criminals will take a risk if they know a house is alarmed, and even they might think twice before breaking in.
Serial burglars will often target a home and not really care whether the occupants are at home or not. The worry is if a burglar finds the home is occupied, they may react aggressively: they may panic and act threateningly. If that happens you may wonder how an alarm can possibly help. Well, when an alarm is triggered family members will be given sufficient warning to find a safe location in the house or outside. What’s more, if the home security system is monitored the alarm will alert the authorities and help will be dispatched.
A home alarm system will also protect your home and family from the threat posed by fires
Home security systems will not only offer protection against intruders, they can also offer an early warning alarm should a fire break out in the property. What about if you’ve already wisely invested in a smoke alarm? Why would you need the added protection offered by a fire protection alarm?
Monitored home alarm systems will not only warn the occupants of the property of the presence of smoke in the home, but they will also warn of about the sources of heat as well as contacting the relevant authorities. They say there’s no smoke without fire: but what ‘they’ forget to add is that where there are sources of heat there could also be the danger of fire starting. Fire prevention is critical in all homes. That’s why it’s worth investing in heat detectors, and incorporating them into home security system. Although heat detectors can be purchased separately and used even when there is no home security system in place; heat detectors by themselves will not notify the authorities about a fire outbreak. Heat detectors which are incorporated into a home security system will.
Evidence gathered from fire authorities worldwide show that in just thirty seconds a small flame can turn in to a raging fire. In just minutes of a fire breaking out, the home will be filled with thick black smoke that makes it impossible for any occupants to breathe. Those points indisputably reinforce the importance of having an effective home security system that is able to alert the authorities to respond to a house fire. Time is a major factor in any emergency, but in the case of fire, time is critical. A delay of only a few minutes could mean death or serious injury as well as the complete destruction of a home and all of its contents.
A home alarm system can help to protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas that is found in combustion fumes. Within the home, poisonous carbon monoxide fumes can be released from normal household fixtures and appliances like stoves, wood or charcoal burners, heating systems and gas ranges. As carbon monoxide (CO) is undetectable by the human sensory system, individuals are often unaware about carbon monoxide poisoning that may have been building up over time. What sort of damage can CO do? Well, carbon monoxide is absorbed by the body’s red blood cells far more rapidly than oxygen is. Because these blood cells then release carbon monoxide into the blood, they begin to replace oxygen and this prevents tissues and organs from receiving necessary oxygen. Anyone affected by CO poisoning will more than likely experience symptoms like dizziness, headache, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and confusion. In the worst-case scenario, CO poisoning can kill.
CO leaks will be picked up by carbon monoxide detectors. These small devices look very similar to smoke alarms and can be purchased either separately or as part of a home security system. What’s the benefit in paying for a home alarm-monitored CO detector? Well, the benefits are similar to having a home alarm-monitored smoke detector, in that they inform the relevant authorities who then dispatch paramedics who are trained to treat the symptoms of CO poisoning. The quicker individuals are able to leave the CO-affected property and receive medical treatment, the less severe CO poisoning symptoms will be.
A home security system will give your family peace of mind
The presence of a home security system will give most families peace of mind, because they know it will help to offer protection from a number of unpleasant eventualities. If you’re an elderly home owner, incapacitated in some way or frequently in the property on your own, then this sense of peace and security can be priceless. For the elderly who may be unable to get out of the home as quickly as younger people, home security systems can warn them of the danger and alert the authorities who will the dispatch assistance. If you are incapacitated and unable to leave your home, home security systems will not only monitor all areas of the home, but also dispatch the authorities if and when they are needed. Some home security systems can also provide medical alert pendants for users to wear: these pendants are designed to summon help should specific medical situations or scenarios occur. Finally, home alarm systems are beneficial for those families who often have to leave family members home alone. A home security system will provide peace of mind for anyone who is frequently left alone for extended periods.
Home security systems can protect your valuable possessions and look after what you hold dearest
We all own something that we cherish. This possession doesn’t have to be big or expensive, but it will definitely hold a special significance for us and remind us of a time or place that we hold close to our hearts. When a burglar enters your home, however, they care little for your feelings: all they are interested in is the street value of what they are going to steal. Evidence for the USA shows that each year there are roughly two and a half million burglaries. These burglaries cost homeowners some $3.1 billion with the average loss per burglary at around $1,700. So the upshot is clearly this: if you don’t want to be another statistic, then protect yourself and your possessions. A home alarm system is generally sufficient to deter casual burglars. However, if your home is targeted by a professional, a home alarm system will also earn its keep. As well as alerting the authorities, a home alarm system will also increase the chances that the intruders will be caught: home security systems with cameras installed can catch the intruders in the act. Having visual and documented proof of the home intrusion increases the likelihood that the burglar will be identified and held responsible for the crime committed. Video footage also helps homeowners create a visual record of what has been stolen from their home during a burglary.
A home security system: someone to watch over you and your home
If you want someone to watch over you, then you’ll need a monitored home security system. This will provide constant monitoring of the property when you are in residence and also when you are unable to do so yourself. We’re all nervous about leaving our properties when we go away on business or holiday, and we all worry about the potential threat from intruders. However, with a home security alarm with monitoring services there is always someone watching and ready to respond to emergency situations in your absence.
Home monitoring tracks significant events and dispatches emergency personnel when needed. Home security systems are able to respond to alarms triggered as a result of a house fire, a carbon monoxide leak, a significant temperature drop or increase, an intruder, or a natural disaster such as a flood. Should any of these unfortunate events occur when you’re away from your property, wouldn’t you want someone to be monitoring your property?
Home security systems can help to reduce home insurance costs
Homeowners insurance is a mandatory requirement if you take out a mortgage. It might be annoying for you as a homeowner and an expense you could do without, but it’s perfectly understandable that the bank who lends you the money to buy the property wants to protect its asset. It might seem like a waste of good money insuring against an eventuality that might never happen, but if you ever are unfortunate enough to have to claim on the policy, then you’ll soon learn that the expense was justified.
Obviously the cost for home insurance policies can vary widely, depending on factors like location, coverage, payment plans, insurance company, and the type of house. and a few other factors. Household insurance is designed to cover private homes and their contents and possessions against losses or damage that can occur. Household policies insure against natural events like fires, floods and storm damage, and also against damage and loss caused by intruders. Although insurance can be costly, there will generally be a significant discount given to homes with home security systems installed. The amount of discount awarded will depend on the features and specification of the home security system: so a home security system monitored by a central monitoring station should receive a larger discount than a system that is unmonitored. There is no definitive answer to how much of a discount you can receive, as this varies form insurance company to insurance company, but in general, homeowners will normally receive a 10-20 per cent discount off their insurance premium if they live in a property where a functioning home alarm system is installed.
You can watch your home remotely from anywhere
For some homeowners, having the ability to keep an eye on their home when they are away is one of the biggest attractions of having a home alarm system. As technology has improved, many home alarm systems now allow users to log on to the internet via their computers or smartphone and access their home security system remotely.
This type of system also allows the home alarm to be remotely armed or disarmed, cameras to be monitored, household lights to be turned off and on, air conditioning or heating to be turned on or changed, and motion detectors to be monitored. All of these functions mean that not only can homeowners keep a watchful eye of potential intruders; they can also help to protect and care for the home remotely. Turning on lights at a specified time through remote access can help to give the impression that someone is at home even when they’re not. Being able to access the heating or air conditioning remotely can help to prepare the home for your return or protect against sudden temperature changes to prevent pipe damage. Remote access can even help to save on electric or gas bills. Although having remote access will cost you extra, it is worth the money because it offers homeowners the opportunity to take charge of their home even when they are away. (see below)
Reduce energy consumption in your home
Home automation is a relatively new concept and, as such, it is not yet offered by that many home security companies: never the less, it is becoming increasingly popular. The home automation service allows users to access and control the lighting, thermostat and, in some cases, small appliances in the home by remote access. Some homeowners utilise this feature to shut down heating and cooling when no one is home, or sign in to turn the heating on an hour or so before heading back home so that when they eventually arrive the house is comfortably warm. Other home owners use the feature to turn on lighting in their property before leaving work so they don’t have to enter an unlit home. This added benefit of this feature is that it can help to fool a potential intruder into thinking someone is home, and that has to be a good thing.
Final thoughts
If you still have any doubts about whether or not your home really needs an expensive home security system, or are sceptical about how they can possibly offer a higher level of protection than you can or family could benefit from purchasing a home alarm system take a look at some of the following facts gathered from U.S.A data:
- a home fire is reported approximately every twenty seconds
- house fires are the third leading cause of fatal home injury in the nation
- each year fires kill more people in the United States than all natural disasters combined
- 39 per cent of residential fires and 52 per cent of residential fatalities from fires occur in homes with no smoke alarms
- approximately two-thirds of home fire deaths between 2005 and 2009 were the result of fires in homes without smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms
- 70 per cent of all burglaries occur in residential properties
- a robbery is reported every 14.5 seconds
- most burglaries take place between 10am and 3pm when the majority of homeowners are at work
- 8 per cent of robberies are committed with a gun according to the FBI’s crime statistics
- the majority of burglars gain entry to the home via the front door, back door and first floor windows
- FBI crime statistics state that during 60 per cent of reported burglaries occur when someone was at home
- only 13 per cent of reported burglaries are solved by the police
- only 15 per cent of property stolen in burglaries is ever recovered by the police
