If you are serious about home security then you need to look into the use of an alarm system.
Alarm systems have become more advanced in the last 30 years.
Considering when we were making moonshine back in the hills our alarm system involved fishing line tied in various places that would shake little jars with a piece of metal, usually a nut, bolt or washer, suspended in the jar to act as a bell which would notify us if anyone was coming down one of our trails.
Of course the revenuers would just follow the fishing line and it would lead them to usually within a hundred foot of our still. That was a state of the art alarm system back then and it worked great for a while until they figured out how to get around it.
Now days you have motion detectors, cameras, pressure detectors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and window and door connections that notify you of almost anything that goes on in your home.
Some alarm companies offer alarm systems that you can log into from your computer and see what is going on through your home surveillance cameras. Yep times have surely changed.
Sure you have the big name companies that are cornering the market on the business, but securing your home shouldn’t mean having to be locked into a contract and being made to feel like as soon as you cancel it the company is going to send someone over to burglarize you.
For the DiYers out there, there are other options Smart At Home for instance states that for only $8.95 a month, you can have your self-installed system monitored 24/7 by a professional central station that can dispatch the police, fire department, or medical aid when there’s an emergency at your home. Yet unlike other, more expensive monitoring services, this security monitoring requires no multi-year contracts, no credit reports, and no hassles. So you install it yourself and they will monitor it.
X10 is another great option that offers do it yourself home security and home automation kits. This is from their website. Ironclad wireless home security! With X10 Wireless Alarm Systems you can quickly and easily set up a home security system to protect what’s most important to you. We have a Wireless Security System to fit any home size or budget. Choose America’s #1 Wireless Security System – the Protector Plus Voice Dialer – and pay no monthly fees! Pick up the Monitor Plus Security System and have the peace of mind that comes from professional monitoring 24-hours per day.
One of the best home security system happens to be one of the oldest ones. If you have a fenced in yard get a dog.
The dog you choose doesn’t have to be a big dog it just has to have a big bark and be moderately protective.
My dogs are as gentle as they can be to kids and adults if I am in the yard with them, but if I’m not out there or if my son is out there by himself, you will not walk up in my yard. They are very protective of the house and my son. Maybe a little too protective of my son, if he does something wrong and I am getting on to him, they let me know real quick.
A small indoor or foo foo type of dog is also a good alarm system, my ex-wife’s dachshund would let her know anytime anyone set foot on her porch. The little dog would run up to the door and start barking furiously and if she didn’t open the door for them that little dog would bite. Face it no one wants to get bit by a dog, even a little one.
Of course you may live in an area (an apartment, condo or rental property) that doesn’t allow pets. Then the X10 system coupled with the Smart At Home system would be my recommendation.
Home security doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, with the above systems you can save money and secure your home the way you want to, instead of having to pay one of the big name home security companies to come out and lock you into a home security monitoring contract that you have a hard time getting out of.
A lot of times home security companies will get you to let them pull the money out of your bank account and then to cancel it you have to send them a letter (sometimes certified) up to three months in some cases ahead of the time you want to cancel your home security monitoring.
That’s the way my current one is set up and I have another year on my three year contract to go, but when that is over I’m going to look into the X10 system. Maybe they will cut me some slack since I’ve plugged them in this blog.
If you know of any other low cost but reliable home security systems feel free to put a link to them in the comment section.
Thanks for reading
Gary