Security Systems

[Gradywhiteadventure]

I'm looking to cut the landline cord, but it's needed for our  security system.  I realize I can go wireless,  but that's a few dollars more on something  I'm thinking of doing myself at this point.  Anyone have any experience  with the wireless home security systems  for the do-it-yourself crowd?   I'm having a hard time justifying  these monthly charges  (alarm company + landline).  I'd take the upfront hit knowing it'd pay for itself within 6 to 9 months, providing  it does its intended job, which, ironically,  I hope it never has to do!?!
I've checked big boxes  and online, and hear pros and cons on them all.....any mustachians have any experience or advice they'd care to pass along? 

[Participant]

For most people an actively monitored system isn't going to offer a whole lot over a stand-alone system. Unless you are next door to a police station, odds are that by the time someone gets dispatched to your home, the intruder will have left. In my humble opinion, the most important part is that the system makes a lot of noise to scare off an intruder. For that, you just need some door position switches and maybe a motion detector. Wire these up to a programmable keypad (so you can enable/disable it), a light, and a small siren. These would all be one time purchases with no recurring payments.

Home security cameras are getting cheaper lately too. One of those in a very visible location may be enough to deter a thief.

[space]

I think the newer Obitalk units (200-series) have official support for alarms.

[Shade00]

Rather than spend the monthly cost on an alarm system, adopt a dog!

The previous owner of my home installed a monitored system. I don't have it monitored, but do like having the ability to turn it on at nights. I bought a system for about $20 called the SAM that is a self-monitored system - supposed to send you texts - but I have not set it up yet.

[Numbers Man]

I have ADT and a land line is not needed.

[NonprofitER]

We got Smith Thompson Home Security - which is a wireless monitored home system.  $16/mo, no contract, quit anytime.  No landline phone needed.  We have it monitored with our local police department, but I think there's an option to just have them call you directly (for maybe less money?).  We tried it after several neighbors experienced back to back robberies and haven't regretted it so far.  We might ditch it eventually since research indicates just having a sign in your yard is semi-effective to deter burglaries, but for now we like it. 

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

Home security systems aren't really worth it, and produce an immense amount of false positives for the police to boot!

Almost always your money will be better spent:

a) improving lighting around your house

b) replacing your door locks with reinforced deadbolts and extra long screws

c) adding a timer to interior lights when you are away on vacation

d) making cookies for your neighbor who will collect your mail and keep an eye on things while you are away

Remember: You don't have to outrun the bear... you just have to outrun the slowest hiker :-)

(but if you MUST have a system, don't get one with monthly monitoring fees.  Just get one that makes a ton of noise)

[PencilThinMust]

I have ADT and a land line is not needed.

I regret getting ADT.  I wish I researched more and installed my own without spending 3K + a 3 year contact at $50 a month.

[Riff]

Home security cameras are getting cheaper lately too. One of those in a very visible location may be enough to deter a thief.

This is the route we went, and I love them.  With a click of a button on my laptop I can see if the car door I heard was in my driveway, or I can see who's rang the doorbell.  Ups guy? Solicitor? Neighbor?  Plus, I can check the cameras with a live view on my phone so I can see when my wife gets home or if we're on vacation, I can see if a package has been delivered so I can call someone to grab it.  One time my brother stopped by to show me his new car when I wasn't home, and he sent me a text to look at my cameras.  It was awesome to see him wave and show off his car in a mime like dance!

Deterring potential thieves is practically a side benefit.

I got a DIY wired system off Amazon for around $400.

[Gradywhiteadventure]

Appreciate  the input, the more difficult  task is convincing my dear wife a do- it-yourself system or other suggestions  are just as effective  without the $40+ a month we're  paying......

(The dog hides under the bed so he's just mailing it in - -the cats do a better job than he ever did...... )

Anyone have thoughts or comments on Iris, Fortress or other do-it-yourself options?  And yes, the camera  thing has also been considered, I'll have to do more research or read up on some reviews. 

[RetiredAt63]

My dog would tell your dog that one of the joys of life is greeting people at the door with extravagant barking.  She is a great watch dog.

If your dog has a good bark, can you tape it and have it link to a motion detector?  Plus apart from all the old ideas (you know, the well-worn dirty size 13 men's work boots at the side door) you could leave out dog paraphernalia that screams "big fierce dog".   Big Kong, big tie-out rope, etc.  Even if the dog is a chihuahua.

Just a thought for the non-electronic side of things.  And I am serious, I had a friend whose house was almost broken into (basement window) but wasn't - her Golden Retriever was in the room directly above the window, and she figures his barking scared the burglar off.

(The dog hides under the bed so he's just mailing it in - -the cats do a better job than he ever did...... )

[waffle]

I've been looking into Simply Safe. Its an all wireless setup, but doesn't require any sort of contract. You can use it as a local alarm to make lots of noise, or you can have it monitored. Since there is no contract you can start and stop the monitoring anytime. I like that idea since it would allow me to not pay monthly fees all the time, but if I'm going to be gone for an extended period like around the holidays or summer vacation I can turn on the service just for that month.

[Longwaytogo]

Obviously some people like dogs; but since this is MMM I will point out that Dogs cost WAY more than security systems. Even if your lucky enough to get a "free dog" and avoid the vet, just food alone will surpass a $25-$30 monitoring. Throw in some rabies shots and a bi-annual teeth cleaning and your way over.

I dropped my home phone and security monitoring July of 2013 after finding MMM. Have not regretted it.

As others have set I still "set" the alarm every night when I go to sleep so it would hopefully scare someone off if they broke in; or at least wake me up to call 911 before they could get up to my bedroom.

[BarkyardBQ]

http://canary.is

[Jack]

If burglaries are that likely, get bars for your windows. If it's not worth getting bars for your windows, then it's not worth bothering with an alarm either.

[BarkyardBQ]

If burglaries are that likely, get bars for your windows. If it's not worth getting bars for your windows, then it's not worth bothering with an alarm either.

One word. Fire!!! As in cave man heat, not your savings and plan.

The last thing I'd ever want to do is prevent myself from getting out of a building. Especially if you have kids.

If you require bars for safety, you need to move. If you need to protect your stuff, get it insured or have less stuff.

[MrsPete]

I agree that security systems aren't particularly valuable.  They do nothing to prevent people from breaking in, and -- as has already been pointed out -- the police are highly unlikely to arrive in time to catch the thieves. 

I'd put the money into the things Mr. Frugalwoods mentioned:  Excellent locks and good lighting (perhaps motion-sensored lighting).

Yes, a dog may be more expensive than a security system, but they're EFFECTIVE, whereas security systems aren't.  I've heard multiple times over the years that a dog is the biggest single thing that makes a thief go on down the road to the next house.

I definitely agree with the comment about not needing to outrun the bear.  Most break-ins aren't targeted specifically at YOU; rather, the thief just picks a house that looks relatively easy.  So don't be the easiest house.  Don't set your house up in such a way that people can see your big-screen TV from the pier-glasses that flank your front door.  Don't let mail pile up while you're out of town.  Don't hide your windows with convenient vegetation.

[JetBlast]

If burglaries are that likely, get bars for your windows. If it's not worth getting bars for your windows, then it's not worth bothering with an alarm either.

One word. Fire!!! As in cave man heat, not your savings and plan.

The last thing I'd ever want to do is prevent myself from getting out of a building. Especially if you have kids.

Where I live it is law that there must be a quick release inside each bedroom that has bars on the windows. I would think this law would be extremely common as it is common sense to have a way to use the windows in the event of a fire.

[BarkyardBQ]

If burglaries are that likely, get bars for your windows. If it's not worth getting bars for your windows, then it's not worth bothering with an alarm either.

One word. Fire!!! As in cave man heat, not your savings and plan.

The last thing I'd ever want to do is prevent myself from getting out of a building. Especially if you have kids.

Where I live it is law that there must be a quick release inside each bedroom that has bars on the windows. I would think this law would be extremely common as it is common sense to have a way to use the windows in the event of a fire.

That's excellent. I have never heard of it but have heard the horror stories that come with barred windows.

[cacaoheart]

My wife's family had bars with a quick release added to their windows after someone broke into their home and shot their dogs. The bars are well designed and actually pretty. Just googling for examples I find these: http://www.artisticiron.com/home-security/window-guards

For now, particularly while renting and living in a good neighborhood, I simply have few things to steal and would be most concerned about someone breaking in while we're home. I like the idea of having reinforced doors, good Abloy/Medeco deadbolts, wrought iron windows/security doors, and cameras that I can remotely access, but feel rather safe without those things for now.

In my early 20s I spent a summer selling security systems in some of the most high crime areas of the Bay Area in Richmond and Oakland. Some customers showed me their intricate setups, some with two cameras facing every direction out of the house, some cameras visible and others not. People felt they got better results from their cameras than door/window alarms, particularly in areas where police were slow to respond. Drive by shootings were common and a day after a coworker witnessed one an SUV drove past and threw gatorade on me. I left soon after with the feeling that my best overall defense was to stay out of such high crime areas as much as possible.

[Bracken_Joy]

I have no input on security systems themselves. However, in high school I worked with a police community outreach group educating about reducing break-ins. Here are the tips I remember:

-Cut bushes and trees away from your windows. This is good for fire safety too. It shouldn't be easy for someone to approach your windows and look in without being visible.
-Don't leave obvious signs of young children out, like bikes in the yard or tiny boots on the porch
-Do leave large men's shoes and large dog toys by the back door
-Don't have tempting and valuable things easily visible from your windows
-Do not have clear windows in your front door or next to it
-Don't leave your garage open on weekends. At least in the area where I lived, it was common for people to case houses by walking/driving past on the weekends to see how much stuff someone had. (Not a problem for minimalists haha). There were a lot of "tool thiefs" who would look for garage shops and steal the tools. Easy to sell I guess.
-Good lighting! Most people have a "dark side" of their house. Eliminate this with a good flood light.
-No solicitor signs. Again, a tactic people will use to case a house.
-Never sell things online and have them picked up at your home. Again, casing.
-As others have mentioned, a camera is a huge deterrent if visible. Doesn't mean it has to be hooked up either.

I hope some of these help someone out. Good luck on your security system woes.

[jgipson]

I recently bought the Aetherlink DIY camera from here http://www.powercctvs.com/aetherlink-camera/. It is also one of the wireless security cameras in the market today. I found it easy to install since its certified under Z Wave Plus. I can connect more than 6 sensors to it and managing it is easy on my smartphone. When I am away I find it incredibly helpful because I can watch over my pet and talk him using the talk back function. I think wireless security systems should be available in every home as it protects the house and the family.

[nereo]

I've researched home-security systems a few times and concluded that they are only useful if you live in a high-crime area, and that measures such as those Bracken_Joy suggested can do far more good.

Consider that there are about 1.7MM home burglaries annually on 125MM homes and (ignoring an area's crime rate) the likelihood a home will be burglarized is about 1.2% per year.
The average (median) loss totaled $2,230.  However, if you have homeowners insurance you are responsible for the deductible, typically $100-500 (check yours).  That means you may be paying more per year for your security system than your deductible on an event which has an extremely low probability of happening.

Security companies aren't very good about providing hard data on how much theft their systems deter, but there's ample evidence that the security system signs deter thieves about as well as the system itself.  Following Bracken_Joy's advice should make your home less attractive than others in the neighborhood.

I do admit that the 'placebo' effect can be very real (e.g. "my wife/husband sleeps better with the system"). 
crime statistics here:
http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=321

[big_slacker]

Good timing on this one. My house was cased recently while my wife was home. Although our city/neighborhood is very safe from most crime, property crime is high. AKA people wanting to rob aren't going to risk getting shot breaking into a house in the hood when they can go to the nice part of town with less danger and better stuff to steal.

We assume these guys drive around during business hours and look for houses with no cars out front. (We use our garage for it's intended purpose unlike most) Guys backed into our driveway which is weird in and of itself. Then one guy gets out, looking pretty hood which isn't normal for where we live and knocks on the door. Wifey doesn't open up but opens the upper window and asks what he wants. He wants 'directions to the freeway' which is ridiculous in our age of smartphones. She sends him on his way. If she wasn't home I'm sure they'd have gone around back and broken in through the patio door.

We kicked around options and also came to the conclusion that the best thing would not be a security system but rather a few cameras and a sign pointing out they were being recorded. Pick an easier target type of thing.

[Sibley]

Just put the ADT sign up. Don't need to have the system itself.

I operate on the following: If you think you need an alarm system, what you actually need is counseling to deal with your irrational fear or bars on your doors and windows. If you need the bars, then you can always move.

[big_slacker]

Almost ridiculously good timing, there was a 9 camera, $700 security system that came up on Amazon Vine yesterday and we snagged it. :D

I'm gonna put a couple of cameras up and a sign on the door. That oughta do the trick, and if they do still want to break in oh well.

[WSUCoug1994]

Interesting points of view on here but I will share my story anyway.  I installed the SimplySafe security system with monitoring for $15/month.  Took a couple hours to set it up and I love it.  It is really for my wife's peace of mind but we have had TWO instances where we are convinced it deterred the threat.

It also offers Fire, CO2 and Water alerts which gives an additional piece of mind and a panic button which I like.  Great mobile app - so I can arm/disarm anywhere in the world.  We are within blocks of the police station which is also a nice advantage. 

I did a ton of research and Value/$$ was tough to beat with SimplySafe.  Sounds like you have found your solution - but this is a nice option for others considering the same thing.