With Halloween approaching, we thought we’d take a look at the best way to scare away burglars from your house: A home security system.
Already, they’re saving homeowners around the nation tons of money every year in stolen possessions — not to mention providing a safer home environment and a better sleep at night for millions of Americans.
Love them or hate them, home security systems are the door locks of the future. And everyone has door locks, right? Well soon, everyone will have alarm systems.
Will you? Let’s take a look at why it may be time to install your own home security system, plus, how to pick one that suits you and your unique needs.
How to Choose a Home Security System
There are a multitude of home security systems out there, so if you’re shopping and you’re confused, we understand!
The first choice you’ll need to make has to do with how you’ll install your system. Do you want to do it yourself, or would you like a professional service to install your system for you? To be sure, it’s less of a hassle to have someone else do it, and you can be fairly sure it will be done well. Still, you’ll almost always benefit from a lower price tag if you take up the reins yourself.
You’ll also want to decide how you want to monitor your security system. Some homeowners prefer that the security company monitors their home on their behalf. In these cases, if an intruder advances onto your property or enters your home, the central monitoring service will contact authorities right away while at the same time alerting you. You may choose to have alarm bells and lights go off at the same time as well. With centrally monitored systems, there are generally numerous options when it comes to how suspicious activity is handled.
If you monitor your home yourself, you alone will usually get alerts about intruders or suspicious activity (although certain services may allow you to monitor authorities directly as well). In these situations, it will be up to you to contact the authorities if you deem it necessary.
Here are some other questions you should ask yourself when it comes to choosing your security system:
- Would you like your system hardwired or wirelessly accessible?
- Do you want to receive video surveillance of your home while you’re away?
- What sorts of alarm bells and/or lights do you want on your system?
- Do you want all entrances monitored or just the front entrance?
- Do you want windows monitored?
- If working with a professional security company, how long do you want your contract to last? (Often, contracts can be signed for several months at a time or several years at a time.)
Do You Really Need an Alarm System?
This is a question that homeowners struggle with often. For the last century, after all, people around the world managed without video monitoring, automated bells and alarms, and automatic 9-1-1 calls.
Still, is not having a home security system risk you want to take when they are so readily available and useful today? They certainly come with a price tag, but the price tag is nothing compared to what you can save by preventing a burglary or, moreover, an intruder who may harm you or your family.
And as an added bonus, some insurance companies offer premium discounts when you have a comprehensive security system installed. Keep in mind, though, that this is only select insurance companies. Always ask your agent directly if this is an option your agency offers.
Understanding how your homeowner’s insurance may be affected by a new alarm system can be confusing. At Jarosch Insurance we’re always here to help. Give us a call today, or stop in to see us for answers to all your questions.
