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A Wide Range of Options to Protect Your Home

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, nearly 1.6 million home burglaries happened in 2015. Besides the $3.6 billion in property losses, the damages from these residential invasions can be measured in other ways. Almost 58 percent of these incidents involved forcible entry, a truth that reveals the potential safety risks to you and your family.

In addition, the average loss of $2,316 per incursion is nothing to sneeze at. Despite any coverage from your renter’s or homeowner’s policies, they don’t address all the problems you face as a home invasion victim. Besides the time taken away from your daily life to deal with paperwork and insurance claims, you’re left worried for the security of your home and family. It’s logical to decide you want a home protection system, but which one do you choose? Fortunately, doing a little homework and careful browsing can help you select the right services for your home.

Residential Security Systems Have Come a Long Way

You might remember the older systems from the 1980s and 1990s, which usually consisted of sensors and alarms transmitting their data to a central monitoring station. In most cases, a few national vendors were available, but some regional and local companies formed to offer these plans. They were frequently not feasible for use in apartments, as they often required permanent installation of equipment and charged early cancellation fees. Moreover, there was also the issue with potential lease violations depending on the installation methods.

Nevertheless, modern innovations have improved on these classic services over the last few decades. In addition, do-it-yourself plans now permit homeowners and apartment dwellers to tool them to suit their own needs, according to how much monitoring they want and the sizes of their residences. It’s important to think about your requirements and your budget while shopping as well as consider all the pros and cons before making your selection.

Full-Service or DIY?

As mentioned earlier, classic home protection plans usually incorporated many devices working together to keep their users safe. These generally included standard features such as alarm control panels, sensors installed on doors and windows, panic buttons and fire alarms, along with professional monitoring from a central contact station. The integration of newer technologies has added keyfobs with exterior arm and disarm features, wireless video cameras and mobile smartphone and tablet apps to configure and control each security system.

As described in this article published by CNET in 2015, such residential security products often featured professional installation, along with monitoring services 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Homeowners who want an easy, full-service solution may benefit the most from them. However, it’s crucial to remember that many versions require a contract, usually for two or three years in length. If you must leave your home for good or cannot afford your services any longer, you’ll be forced to contend with an early cancellation charge.

As a new development within the last ten years or so, DIY home systems are gaining increasing popularity. They’re usually simple to install, depending on small wireless video cameras to send footage to your service provider’s network. Integrating with your home broadband internet, they provide impressive utility with options such as motion sensing sophisticated enough to refrain from sending an alarm if your dog decides to play chase with its own tail in your yard yet alert you if someone tries to scale your fence.

Their mobile phone or tablet apps also permit you to monitor alerts and view live footage, as well as watch earlier record video stored by your provider using its cloud technology. Many also factor in advanced features, such as two-way audio transmission through the mobile apps. From unexpected intrusions to teenagers throwing an unauthorized party while you’re away, you’ll most likely have the pictures to prove it, thanks to DIY home protection plans.

Get the Facts

Reading more on security systems should help you as you research the best options. Remember that DIY security products frequently don’t require a contract and may be lower priced than their traditional equivalents. Nevertheless, you’re on your own when it comes to managing their functions. On the other hand, full-service comprehensive solutions put the care and management in your provider’s hands, and it may be worth the extra cost for those who value such convenience. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s best for your family.