Home Security: DIY or Let Someone Else?
By john on Jun 5, 2008 in Home Automation, featured
As a relatively new homeowner, I’ve had to consider things I had never really thought about before. For instance, what colors I want decorating the guest bathroom, how best to clean a deck ( hot water, OxyClean and dawn soap), etc. On that long list of things “John totally didn’t even consider when he was buying a house” was home security. That’s somewhat ironic, given that my profession is security (though not directly of the physical sort), but true.
Like anybody who has watched TV and had to sit through commercials, I knew of plenty of home security companies (Sonitrol, ADT, Brinks, just to name a few), but I was curious whether or not there were any other companies and/or products out there. Turns out there are quite a few, but most of them suck.
I did find out that there are DIY security systems that you can buy and install yourself, and program to do lots of neat things (like call you when an alarm goes off, or have remote control of your system, or tie in security cameras), while also offering live 24/7 monitoring for ~$10/month. $10 a MONTH. Beyond that, the system notifies YOU as well that there was a problem, or even for non-critical things (if you want it to).
Say you are going to be at work late and want to know your kids got home from school ok. When they come in and key in their code the system notifies you that they successfully keyed in the code and you can rest assured they are home.
It comes with all of the typical equipment – keypad, door sensors, motion sensor (pet immune), etc.
But the big questions in my mind are:
- who does the monitoring, and how reliable are they?
- do I really want to do the installation myself?
- Can I get a discount on my homeowners insurance if I don’t use a traditional company?
I’m still debating this, and would love other peoples thoughts and opinions. I’m kinda sitting on the fence on this one, not really even leaning one way or the other.
I WOULD love a security system that could be tied into my home automation system, but not if it compromises security.
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The discount on insurance if you have a security system is bs. I live in FL and used ADT. Don’t sign anything unless you read EVERYTHING. I also had cameras.
Jason Bush | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
Jason – thanks for the thoughts!
I agree that the discount is somewhat BS, but it does exist (my insurance company even told me about it) so it’d be silly to not at least look into it. Besides – is it really such a bad thing to have a little peace of mind in the event someone DOES try to break in?
I really don’t like any of the larger security companies (ADT, Brinks, etc) – they don’t really appeal to me, there’s nothing all that compelling about what they offer.
I can go the DIY route, buying and installing my own system and hardware and paying for monitoring (about $9/month) but the hardware can get fairly expensive if you get all the bells and whistles. The upside is once you pay for it, you own it and can take it with you when you move.
I did look into the monitoring – it’s with a UL listed central station, and looks legit. Initially the low cost bothered me, until you make the realization that the inflated costs passed on to consumers by traditional companies like ADT and Brinks often go to paying for employees and technicians to maintain the equipment.If you don’t have to worry about those costs you can pass that savings on to the consumer.
The other route I’m now considering is alarm.com. A friend of mine told me about them and said one of his friends uses them and likes them a lot. I’ve read good reviews from other “tech heads” who also really like the capabilities of the system (I like them myself), but also the “awesome” customer service. I have an inquiry in with them regarding pricing (both for installation and for monitoring service), so will know for sure soon enough whether they’re worth pursuing.
They offer web access, enabling users to arm, disarm, and monitor their system from anywhere in the world through the ‘net. Their panel hooks up to the central station via GSM/GPRS – so it’s not reliant on the phone line for service (phone lines can be cut, essentially disabling the alarm system – as can internet feeds).
They offer their services through Frontpoint Security (amongst other dealers), but I’m not sold on it yet.
john | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
I agree, the much promoted homeowners insurance discount for having an alarm system seems to be greatly exaggerated in most cases. For examply, by giant discount is $20 or $24 for the ENTIRE YEAR. Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but essentially nothing compared to the yearly insurance bill. The average person may get a bit more than this, but I doubt most get the giant 10% or greater discount often touted by alarm companies.
Alan | Jun 13, 2008 | Reply
“by giant discount” should be “my giant discount” in the previous post. Sorry.
Alan | Jun 13, 2008 | Reply