Home Security System Tips and Guide

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.

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.