Home Alarms and Security Systems

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Home Alarms and Security Systems

What deters burglars, alarm types, sensors and insurance

Home security works in layers, and the evidence about what actually deters a burglar is fairly consistent and not always what people spend on first.

What actually deters

Visible signs of occupancy and difficulty. Good locks meeting the relevant standard, lighting on approaches, gravel, a locked side gate, and the impression that somebody is in.

An alarm box, real or not, deters. A working alarm that sounds and notifies deters more, and neighbours who look out for each other deter most of all.

Alarm types

Bells-only alarms make noise locally. Monitored alarms notify a centre or your phone, which matters when nobody is nearby to respond to a siren.

Wireless systems are easy to fit and rely on batteries that need replacing. Wired systems are more robust and harder to retrofit.

Sensors

Door and window contacts detect entry; motion detectors detect movement inside. Place motion sensors to cover the route a burglar must take — hallways and stairs — rather than every room.

Pet-tolerant sensors exist and need positioning carefully. False alarms are what make people stop setting a system.

Cameras and privacy

A camera capturing beyond your boundary brings data protection obligations in the UK and EU. Angle them at your own property, mask what you cannot avoid, and consider turning audio recording off.

Insurance

Check what your policy requires before buying, since some specify lock standards or an alarm to a named grade. Installing something below that specification may not reduce a premium or satisfy a condition.

Smart locks and access

Temporary codes for cleaners and trades, revoked afterwards, are the real advantage over a key that can be copied. Keep a mechanical override and make sure everyone in the house can operate it.

In a fire you must be able to leave quickly in the dark, which is why exit should not depend on a phone.

Going away

Cancel deliveries, use timer switches on lamps, ask a neighbour to move bins and post, and avoid announcing the trip publicly. An empty-looking house is the single biggest invitation.

Check your insurance for conditions about unoccupied periods, which are frequently shorter than people assume.

Keys

Never leave a spare key under a mat, a stone or in a meter box, all of which are checked first. Leave a spare with someone you trust instead.

Photograph and record serial numbers of valuables, which is what makes recovered property returnable.

The basics first

Lock up properly including windows and back doors, do not leave keys near the letterbox, and keep car keys away from the front of the house.

Mark valuables and photograph them.

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