When you decide to invest in a home security system, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from. What do you really need? Some may not be able to afford the full-featured package deal. Are there some items you might start with as a basis and expand on later? Here are a few of the necessities and why you should start with them.
Video Doorbell
The popularity of the video doorbell came about in 2018. Since then, companies like to promote it as a crime deterrent. Although local authorities are hesitant to comment on the statistics of it, it is a known fact that visible cameras make intruders think twice. Video doorbells have successfully scared of its share of porch pirates. A big benefit is the two-way voice capability. When you receive an alert on your smartphone that there is activity at your front door, you can see the live stream and even have a conversation with the person standing there.
Indoor and Outdoor Cameras
As previously stated, cameras are a big discouragement to intruders. An article by CNN called home security cameras “the new neighborhood watch”. The benefits of these outdoor or indoor cameras are that they show what is happening in real-time on your smartphone. The recordings are also available in your cloud storage or on a DVR to review at a later time if necessary. Cameras not only deter intruders, but they help to keep an eye on the family’s activity during the day. Even the family pets can be checked on.
Smart Locks
One of the best updates to come into the home security field is the Smart Lock. You no longer have to dig for that house key. These locks work off of PIN codes that you can assign to individual members of your home and even the neighbors who water your plants when you’re gone. With everyone having their own code, you are alerted as to who is coming and going during the day. Also, delivery services such as Amazon now offer In-Home Delivery. You can assign them their own code and they will unlock the door for your package to go inside and then lock it back-up. No more package thieves.
Smoke/Heat Detectors
The Consumer Product Safety Commission states that smoke alarms “are considered to be one of the best and least expensive means of providing an early warning of a potentially deadly fire and could reduce by almost half the risk of dying from a fire in your home”. This one item could be lifesaving, and yet some fail to keep a simple battery in place. Even better is having it connected to your monitoring station. This would enable your home to get immediate attention from first responders even if you’re not home.
Monitoring
Having a home security system is vital these days. If there is a break-in to your home, you can hope that the loud alarm sends them running. You will even receive the alert on your smartphone. However, when you see someone in your home, what do you do? You can call 911, but by the time you go through the process and they respond, precious minutes have gone by. Having an outside monitoring company ensures that any alarms that come from your home get immediate attention. A quick response time could even result in the capture of the intruder.
Overall, these are just a few of the many things that you can build into a home security system. At Allied Home Security, we offer everything from these basic items to all the extra smart home security you would want. Our monitoring service has one of the quickest response times in the nation, our partners at Brinks Home Security. Give us a call to learn more on how to get your home secured and sleep soundly knowing your family is safe.
