There are many details to consider when securing your home which can ultimately help you select which company to purchase from. Below are some of the more commonly forgotten considerations and how to go about deciding what details in a system are important to you.
1. Entrances
Even if you don't want to attach an alarm to every window and opening in your home, it's important that you at least take them all into consideration. Do a quick walk around your home and you might find one small window you find insignificant that a burglar would exploit.
2. Location of Control Panel
If you have kids or pets then you might want the keypad to be out of their reach. If you have a large house, you might want to have access to the control panel via your bedroom. This is also an often overlooked consideration.
3. Who Will Monitor?
Monitored security systems are connected to a central station that monitor your home from there and alert you and/or authorities if there's ever an incident. Another, and less-expensive option, is a self-monitoring system that dials your private phone and/or other pre-selected numbers if the system is alerted. Self-monitoring is a great option for those who want to save money.
4. Motion Sensor Placement
You might think that you need a motion sensor for every inch of your house, but you must know that they're easily set-off. Consider what your family does on a given day. Do you often get up in the middle of the night for a snack? Does your child wake up to go to the bathroom? Do you have any pets that roam the house? These movements could set off the alarm, so you need to think about this before having the system installed.
5. Smoke and CO2
Just having an old-fashioned smoke alarm is good, but if you're not home, who will alert the fire department? That's where a modern home security system comes in. Consider a system that works with home safety sensors, such as carbon monoxide (CO), gas and similar devices. You also might want to choose a system that offers panic and personal emergency buttons.
6. User-friendly
The home security system you ultimately choose should be user-friendly. Make sure that adding new codes or users and the like, is a simple process to learn.
These home security system considerations are easy to forget, but they're also extremely important. Save this list for when it's the right time for you to purchase a home security system.
