Solutions for alarms when you are on a budget
At the last count, an estimate 30% of homes in England and Wales had a burglar alarm of some type fitted. Many thousands of households take the decision each year to install a new burglar alarm or upgrade their current system, and with the most sophisticated alarm systems costing many thousands of pounds, it’s not a purchase which can be taken lightly. So are there ways to save a lot of money on your home security system, and enable you to get a secure home on a budget?
Dummy Alarm Boxes
The visible indication to any potential thief that you have a house alarm is the little box on the outside wall. Dummy alarm boxes are those which are designed to look just like the real thing, but which aren’t linked up to anything and will not sound an alarm if someone breaks in. Thieves do tend to target houses which are not alarmed, so the theory is that a buying a dummy alarm box for as little as £15 and fitting it on the wall where it can be easily seen is enough to make a burglar pass your house by and head to the next one without an alarm. If you really can’t afford any more than a dummy box then it’s better than nothing, but burglars are not stupid and have other ways of working out whether an alarm box is genuine or fake.
DIY Installation for Home Security
Perhaps a more sensible option for anyone wanting to install home security on a budget is to buy an off the shelf alarm system and then take on the job of installation yourself. All of the large DIY chains sell basic kits containing everything you need to install a wireless system at your home for around £125, and assuming you have reasonable DIY skills and time to do the work, this is a good budget option. The problem with this approach is that the kits are suitable for standard houses only, and if you require anything which is slightly out of the ordinary then you will have to put your own kit together or add to one of the off the shelf kits from the major stores. Either option will require a greater understanding of what you are doing and what security measures you need.
Professionally Installed Home Security
There is no getting away from the fact that asking a professional alarm installer in to quote for a custom set-up for your home is the most expensive of the three options, but there are potential savings to offset against the cost. Firstly, if your free time away from work is precious, you may consider it better value to pay someone else to do the work so it doesn’t eat into your weekend. A properly installed and maintained alarm could save you between 5% and 10% off your annual home insurance cost. Finally, it could also push up the value of your property too. Never underestimate the distress and upset caused by a break-in, and for many people, the peace of mind associated with having an alarm is priceless.
