Do you have a home security system?

[Omegachi]

I just bought my first house and I want to install a security system. I am not too sure about the safety of my neighorhood. I would say its not a 100% safe neighorhood and break-ins do occur from time to time, so I just want to be safe than sorry.

Does anyone here have any experience with security systems? did it work for you? any stories to share? And if you have any suggestions on what is a good system/company to go with, let me know. Oh, and I don't want to pay more than 50 bucks for a monthly fee...

Thanks!

 

[manimal]

Dont just call ADT and buy the first package they try to sell you. Call some local places. A local place here does monitoring for 12 dollars a month.

Any of your neighbors have security?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Go through a local place, and be sure to get insurance.

Take pics and inventory ALL of your belongings.

 

[Cuda1447]

dogs

 

[Omegachi]

Dont just call ADT and buy the first package they try to sell you. Call some local places. A local place here does monitoring for 12 dollars a month.

Any of your neighbors have security?

what is the name of the company (just in case they have a branch here) and what is covered under the 12 bucks? are the equipment and installation service free?

 

[Superself]

go here:

www.safemart.com

best value and best customer service.

 

[MiniDoom]

guns

 

[Texashiker]

Call Smart, its a smart place to shop.

 

[sixone]

Don't sign anything until you read their agreement. My security company gave me a great deal on installation, in exchange for a five-year agreement with a considerable early-term fee.

They will give you the hard-sell, once they're in your home. Be prepared for that.

 

[Bateluer]

Just a 12 gauge Remington. The finest in the sporting goods department.

 

[corwin]

Just a 12 gauge Remington. The finest in the sporting goods department.

The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

 

[Texashiker]

The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line.

I heard those S-Mart 12 gauge shotguns can go to hell and back.

 

[Zeze]

Is it me or living in a safe neighborhood is 100000000x safer than a home security home in a worse neighborhood?

 

[Imp]

Use to. We let the peddlers in the door, and mom was too nice to tell them to eff off. So she signed a multiyear contract. That was years ago. Now we're defenseless, but we kept the "Protected by ___ Alarm" sign outside the front door. Should have just bought the sign or swiped it from a neighbour.

 

[Vic Vega]

Is it me or living in a safe neighborhood is 100000000x safer than a home security home in a worse neighborhood?

Criminals have cars.

It's like having a fire extinguisher, I don't plan on having a fire and none of the homes near me have burned down but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

Same with the security system. If someone kicks my back door in at 1:00 PM when everyone is at work, I'd like to be notified and have the police respond. I'd also like a siren to go off so the bad guys know they are being observed.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I have one. When I lived with my parents we never had one, only had one B&E and it was one of my "friends" so it was not really random. It was a one time incident. When I moved to my house I got my car broken into twice and my garage broken into once. I use "broken" loosely here, because both times my car was unlocked because I forgot to lock it, or they found a way to unlock it without breaking the lock. Garage door opener was in the car /facepalm.

So after that I decided to get a security system as I think they were testing me to see how far they can go, and the house was most likely next. Not only would my server's data and my belongings be in danger, but my cat would also be in danger.

I also feel much safer with an alarm system. When I would leave the house for an extended period of time at night I was always nervous every time I came back, wondering if I got hit. The neighborhood is rather quiet, but there is lot of vandalism and stuff, so I think it's people who know it's a quiet neighborhood so it's more targeted.

My next step is a few cameras as well. I want to be able to monitor from work when I'll be doing 12 hour night shifts.


And to those who say dogs/guns:

Dogs: A criminal will just shoot it. Do you really want to put your pet in the front line of danger? Don't depend on your pet for your own safety if you care about them.

Guns: Kinda useless if you're not home, and if you are home, they'll probably shoot first.


My alarm system also monitors basement water, and fire, so I also have that piece of mind that if something happens while I'm not home I'll get a call on my cell. If I don't have my cell they'll just send the fire dept.

 

[jtvang125]

Just a 12 gauge Remington. The finest in the sporting goods department.

Sure, if you're home when the break-in occurs. My dad has more guns in the house than I can count fingers on my hand but that didn't do them any good during the 2 break-ins they had when no one was home.

 

[FoBoT]

i live in a very rural area, so it isn't really necessary, but yes

 

[Patranus]

Only an idiot wouldn't have a home security system.

 

[Kobota]

In my city, we dont even lock our doors. Hell i dont even have a key to my front door. Those that park on the street lock their cars to keep kids out, but most i know that park in garages just leave their keys in the car.

 

[vi edit]

Dogs: A criminal will just shoot it. Do you really want to put your pet in the front line of danger? Don't depend on your pet for your own safety if you care about them.

Only a handful of dogs are legitimately there as guard/protection dogs. The rest can make very capable watch dogs that serve as nothing more than an alert system to get you up at night when something is wrong and give you those couple extra seconds you need to either grab a gun/phone/9 iron/ect.

 

[FoBoT]

the point of my dog is to wake me up at night or alert me during the day
not to attack
he is very alert, like he is on crack all the time
anything comes near the house and he is barking

 

[Red Squirrel]

Only a handful of dogs are legitimately there as guard/protection dogs. The rest can make very capable watch dogs that serve as nothing more than an alert system to get you up at night when something is wrong and give you those couple extra seconds you need to either grab a gun/phone/9 iron/ect.

That's fine and dandy if you're home, but if you're at work, they'll just shoot the dog and move on to trashing the house and doing their thing. In this world of 8+ hour work days, we are rarely home. It makes more sense to have a system that works when you are not home and does not depend on you being there.

 

[FoBoT]

i don't need security if no one is home
it is just stuff, you can get new stuff
and my neighbors have much better stuff than me, so if someone wanted to take stuff, they'd go to the 1% house before mine

 

[amdhunter]

I wish, but NYC laws will not allow me to buy a gun.