How Much “Security” Does Your Home Need?
Whether you’ve just purchased your new home or have been a homeowner for a while, you’ve probably considered investing in a home security system. With so many options available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or confused about which system is right for you.
As an experienced partner in the connected home security industry, we advise you to break the decision down into small chunks.
First, decide why you want a home security system. What is motivating you to consider a home security system? What do you want to accomplish? What are your goals?
Second, consider what individual products will help you meet those goals.
Finally, choose a home security company that provides the system and products you want and the reliability you expect.
Why Do You Want a Home Security System?
Installing a security system in your home is a personal decision, and there could be a variety of reasons to have one. Whatever your reason, there are a number of products that can help you achieve your desired outcome. Here’s how to choose:
Deter Break-ins
If you want to deter break-ins, you will want to consider products that are noticeable from the street, sending a strong message to intruders that your home is not an easy target. Security system yard signs, window stickers, and visible outdoor cameras are great options to accomplish this. Additionally, lights that turn on and off randomly make it look like you’re home when you’re actually not.
Yard Signs
Window Stickers
Catch Them in the Act
If your goal is to scare away an intruder attempting to break into your home, you should consider door/window sensors and motion or glass break detectors that detect the intruder. Outdoor sirens and flashing lights will alert the whole neighborhood that there’s an intrusion. Catching an intruder in the act (or scaring him/her off) is a great way to keep your home protected.
Notify Authorities
If you want the police to be immediately notified when an intruder attempts to break in, invest in a professional monitoring service for those door/window sensors, and motion/glass break detectors. Professional monitoring will contact you to determine whether it’s a false alarm and dispatch the police when it’s appropriate.
Home Status
If you want to remotely see what is happening in your home, consider a system with sensor activity monitoring, smart door locks, garage doors, and cameras. You can have peace of mind by checking on these areas from your mobile device or the web when you are out and about.
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Sensor Activity Monitoring
Notifications
If you want to be notified when something unexpected happens in your home, choose a system that sends event-triggered notifications and unusual activity alerts. Modern systems use artifical intelligence to determine when sensor activity is unusual. Cameras with video object detection go even further by identifying people, vehicles, and animals in specific areas around your home.
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Real-Time Notifications
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Unexpected Activity
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People Detection
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Vehicle Detection
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Animal Detection
Environmental Threats
If your goal is to protect your family and property from environmental threats or dangers, consider installing smoke, carbon monoxide, and flood detectors. Professional monitoring will alert you and dispatch emergency responders when these detectors go off. It can even notify you when there is a weather emergency.
Control Home Access
With the right products, you can easily control who has access to your home. Smart door locks can be unlocked remotely, doorbell cameras can let you to see who is there before letting anyone in, and smart garage doors can allow you to open and close the garage door when you’re not at home. You can even give people unique and/or temporary codes to control when they can enter.
Helping a Family Member in Need
If you have an elderly or special needs family member that you want to check on or help, you could choose wellness (assisted living) features, emergency medical monitoring, and unexpected activity notifications. You can also stay in contact with easy to use tap-to-call two-way voice cameras.
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Assisted Living
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Unexpected Activity
Whole Home Integration
If you want to seamlessly integrate, access, and manage your home security and smart home system all in one place, Surety, the Qolsys IQ Panel and Alarm.com can help.
Alarm.com-
Professional Monitoring
Portability
If you’re a renter who wants to take the system when you move, choose products that are easy to install and uninstall without damaging the property. Examples of these products are a control panel that sits on a shelf, user-friendly touch screens, and wireless sensors.
Off to College
If you’re sending a child to college and are looking for a security system that gives you peace of mind or alerts you of any issues, choose products that have multi-user access with remote notifications, such as these from Alarm.com.
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Remotely Accessible
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Real-Time Notifications
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Multi User
What Should You Look For in a Home Security Company?
As you begin to research home security companies, first consider whether you want the system to be professionally installed or self installed. The product offerings are similar, but your involvement in the process, level of customization, and cost will be different.
Professionally installed home security systems are installed by the home security company’s technician and almost always include a 24/7 monitoring service. You may have to pay for the equipment and installation, be asked to sign a multi-year contract, and pay a monthly fee for monitoring. If you don’t want the hassle of installing or maintaining the system yourself, this might be the perfect option for you. But it will cost more and might not be as tailored to your liking.
Self installed home security systems include a DIY option for tech-savvy homeowners. The DIY systems offer more flexibility and are less expensive, but they are usually lower quality equipment and many are not monitored by a professional 24/7 monitoring service.
Surety combines the best features from both categories. We provide a low cost, fully customized system with DIY installation but with professional-grade equipment and an option for a professional monitoring service. We like to say we’re the best of both worlds and an excellent choice for those who want professional quality at an affordable price.
Once you determine your installation preference, we advise you to choose a company with five star reviews, renowned online customer support, and powerful tools that get you what you want when you want it.
Surety partners with Alarm.com, a company that shares our rich history and security-first mindset. We have products and packages that allow you to customize your system to your unique needs. And being open, authentic, and transparent are the virtues that drive everything we do. We hope you will consider us to help keep your home safe and protected.
Ready to get started?
We invite you to take a look at our bundles, plans, and add-ons that give you the ability to make your system exactly what you need. There’s no risk to you because all of our packages have a 30 day return policy and begin with a free 30-day trial. You can add equipment, add on monitoring month-to-month if you want, and cancel anytime with no penalty.
As your home’s best friend, Surety is always there, always aware, and always willing to help. You can rely on us to be your trusted partner for home security and home automation. If you’re ready to learn about the many home security options Surety has available, please visit our website.