Home Security System Considerations for Your New Home
By James Todd
Your New Home and Your Family's Safety
When you're building a home, you're undoubtedly overwhelmed with
excitement and ever-changing plans and decisions, making it easy to
overlook some of the smaller details. But this is not a time to
compromise your family's safety. By determining your family's safety
needs early on, you can better equip your new home and ensure you and
your family are safe for many years to come.
On the most basic level, a home electronic security system can provide
you with protection from break-ins with four important levels of
deterrence: yard signs, warning decals, loud sirens and 24-hour
monitoring. The right home electronic security system can also save your
family from fire, a necessary benefit considering that a home fire
occurs every 86 seconds and 8 people die in house fires every 24 hours.
Add to this the fact that many electronic home security systems can also
detect carbon monoxide and it becomes clear that security systems are
something you should strongly consider when planning your new home.
Thanks to advances in technology, homebuilders have a wide variety of
systems to choose from. There's the more standard electronic system that
includes an alarm and 24-hour monitoring which requires homebuilders to
purchase the inexpensive equipment, pay an installation fee, and pay
monthly (usually less than $40) for the monitoring. This traditional
system is tried and true and remains the backbone of home security
systems today because of its ease of use and affordability. (www.ADT.com
or www.Ademco.com).
Also on the market is automated home security, which resembles something
seen previously only in James Bond movies. Using automated systems,
homeowners have the luxury of using voice recognition and even seeing
inside their home while away via their laptops. Despite their futuristic
qualities, adding home automation to an existing home is surprisingly
affordable and simple, with many of the products costing less than $40
and requiring no new wires! (www.Smarthome.com).
Regardless of which system you prefer, you must consider your own needs
before deciding which system is best for you and your family, including:
The style and number of doors and windows in your home How many floors
your home will have
Your children's ages and their bedroom locations
The number and type of pets you have
Your home's location
Does your home have a detached garage?
Are there any gas-fired appliances in the home? (For carbon monoxide
detection)
Does the home have a hot tub or gas logs? (For carbon monoxide
detection)
Do you have elderly people living in the home (Critical condition
monitoring solutions such as medical assistance)
You can save money on security monitoring services or even monitor for
non-traditional security events like water in the laundry room or
basement. Additionally, Smarthome products include devices that will
allow you to unlock the front door to let friends in or close the garage
door from your office via the Web. Remote control thermostats allow you
to adjust the temperature from bed at night or even from a cell phone
while on your way home (or to your 2nd home!). They can even trigger a
notice to you if the temperature gets too low (freezing pipes) or too
high (pets, plants, etc.).
Go over your wants and needs for your home security system with your
builder. And, it is wise to ask friends and neighbors about their
security systems. Find out what kind of system they have, what company
they chose and why, and find out if they are pleased with their system.
You may also want to ask about their system's ease-of-use, reliability
and even costs. Once you have narrowed down the list of companies you
want to work with, give them a call and discuss your specific needs.
Then, go over your findings with your builder to ensure the system gets
installed and is up and running long before you and your family spend
your first night in your new home. And last but not least, don't forget
to make a quick call to your insurance agent. Your home's new alarm
system should save you money on your homeowner's insurance premiums.
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