Summary
Decisions concerning home security shouldn’t be taken lightly. After all, your home should be a sanctuary, providing a secure environment that you and your family feel safe to live in. If you feel that the time has arrived to have an intruder alarm installed – and quite possibly other equipment like CCTV and security cameras - asking the right questions upfront will ensure you make the correct choice for your needs.
The questions we’ve flagged here provide a good framework to compare systems; whether it’s best to go with a specialist, accredited home security company or to buy the kit off a retailer, like Amazon, and do it all yourself. Above all, take your time and don’t be afraid to ask questions before deciding what’s in your best interests.
Key Takeaways: Home Security Questions to Ask
- Make sure you are aware of all the installation options and the upfront costs involved - including the equipment itself, installation, monthly fees, servicing, monitoring, and any cancellation penalties.
- Before committing to a professionally installed burglar alarm, always ask about types of monitoring, back-up power, emergency response, and the quality of expert home security advice available.
- It’s important to know what the procedure is should there be a false alarm, and what customer support options are available right from the outset.
- Check if the security system can grow with your home, whether it can be easily upgraded or integrated with smart devices, and if it can come with you if you move home.
Knowing the right questions to ask about home security systems will help ensure you end up having the most appropriate equipment installed in your home, that’s best suited to your specific needs and budget. It might also prevent you from being overcharged or locked into an unwieldy contract that you neither require nor can get out of.
It’s important to appreciate that there is a world of difference between having a professionally installed, maintained, and constantly monitored intruder alarm compared with an off-the-shelf, DIY system.
You might pay less – although not necessarily a great deal less – if you decide to go it alone. But would it actually be money well spent, compared to what a long-established and fully accredited security company could offer as a viable, long-term home security solution?
That’s why asking the right questions at the outset will ensure you start on the right foot.
Is a DIY Home Security System as Good as a Professionally Installed One?
Although it is possible to install a home security system yourself for most sizes of home – and this may appear to be a cheaper option on the face of it – if you have little or no experience of self-installation, maintenance, and monitoring, this will probably not be your best option.
That’s why a residential intruder alarm system set up by professionals usually makes more sense for the majority of homeowners - especially when it involves larger properties or those with complex layouts. That said, we have many clients who live in terraced properties or within apartment blocks – so size isn’t everything!
It is also worth remembering that our home security systems are available from just £36 per month – they don’t have to be bought outright, which means you can avoid any large, upfront costs.
Equipment and Features: What Does It Actually Come With?
Every security system is different and will take time to get used to, especially if this is the first time that you have encountered a home security system. So, it pays to know exactly what you are getting and what it will all cost.
Equipment Questions
- Sensors: Where and how many will be required? Are door/window sensors, motion detectors, and glass-break sensors included?
- Control Panel: What does it do and how does it work?
- Cameras: Are indoor cameras, outdoor cameras, or video doorbells installed as standard?
- Smart Home Integration: Can the system connect to smart lights, thermostats, or voice assistants like Alexa or Google Home through seamless smart home security integration?
Type of Alarm Installation – Is It Wireless, Wired, or Hybrid?
If you are opting for a professional installer, ask their advice about which type of system will be best suited to your home and your requirements.
Wireless security systems are easier to install and can have the advantage of more flexible placements. They do require periodic battery changes, however. Conversely, wired systems are often seen as being more reliable and they don’t require battery changes. However, installation can take longer, and wired systems aren’t always so easy to pick up and take with you if you move home.
Expansion Questions to Futureproof Your Setup
A system that works well in a one-bedroom apartment today might be inadequate in a bigger home, and vice versa. If you are upsizing or downsizing and your home security needs change, here are some suggestions about what to ask:
- Can my existing home intruder alarm and any other security equipment be used in my next home to help futureproof home security?
- If it can come with me as part of any upgrade, will it be possible to add more sensors or cameras to my existing system later on, or will I need to start from scratch?
- How can I futureproof my current security system?
- If I move outside the area, will your company still be able to maintain and monitor the equipment?
Alarm System Monitoring
Arguably, monitoring is the key element to any effective home security system. Who’s watching when you aren’t? What happens if the alarm is activated and you are out of the country on a two-week holiday?
As with all other aspects of home security, you can choose to go it alone and rely on self-monitoring. This might be sufficient if you are tech-savvy and you are happy to receive alerts on your phone and handle responses yourself.
But by far the most efficient type of monitoring system is to have your home security system linked to a professional 24/7 alarm monitoring centre to provide round-the-clock support. If your intruder alarm is linked to a monitoring station, such as the dedicated Justice Fire & Security ARC, all incidents will be handled on your behalf.
Monitoring Questions
- What happens during a break-in or fire? Does the system call emergency services automatically, or does it wait for you to respond?
- How fast is the response time, and will this involve calls to the emergency services?
- What if the power goes out or the internet goes down? Does the system have cellular or battery backup to ensure coverage is continuous?
Costs and Contracts: What’s This Actually Going to Cost?
This is where a lot of people are caught off guard – especially if you are considering the DIY option, where there’s often a lot more hidden cost involved than is stated on the package.
Key Contract Questions
- Is there a long-term contract? Month-to-month flexibility contrasts with multi-year deals that can lock you in.
- What are the early cancellation fees? Some companies charge up to several months’ worth of fees.
- What does the warranty cover? Equipment failures happen - find out what’s covered and for how long.
Reliability and Support: Will It Hold Up When It Counts?
A home security system needs to be ready and capable of doing its job at any given moment; there really is no room for compromise on this point. It’s no use saying that it was all working properly yesterday, only to discover that it didn’t activate when someone broke in today.
- “Crash and Smash” Protection: How does it deal with attacks where a burglar smashes the control panel before it can send an alert? Good systems send the signal before you can disable it
- False Alarms: How will your system prevent unwanted activations from occurring?
- Mobile App Support: Given emergencies don’t just happen between 9am and 5pm, can you arm, disarm, and monitor your system from anywhere using a mobile app, and can you reach a real person 24/7 when you need help?
What Do Justice Fire & Security’s Home Security Systems Include?
Operating across the Greater Midlands, we supply, install, and maintain a comprehensive range of security equipment for residential properties, including:
- a range of wired, wireless, and hybrid systems
- high-resolution CCTV cameras with night vision
- portable or remote access for monitoring via a smartphone or computer
- integrated fire detection and access control, where required
- 24/7 monitoring and rapid response services
Together, each of these key security components is geared toward preventing unauthorised access, criminal damage, and ensuring that you always receive a rapid response in the event of an alarm activation.
About Justice Fire & Security
For the last four decades, Justice Fire & Security has been dedicated to the design and installation of a comprehensive range of home security systems for clients across the Greater Midlands.
Operating within a 60-mile radius of our Birmingham HQ, we cover the wider Birmingham catchment, as well as major towns and cities throughout Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire.
For all home security enquiries, including organising a free home survey, contact the Justice Fire & Security main switchboard on 0345 468 0927.
