Security questions - alarms, keys etc

jamesperrett

Why do you think that you need an alarm on a house of that size? Do you live in a high crime area? If none of the other properties in the street have an alarm you may actually be drawing attention to yourselves and you may find that potential thieves find ways of testing it to see if it is monitored (this happened to a business that I ran).

If you really need an alarm then you should make sure that you get one that is reliable - your neighbours aren't going to thank you if there are false alarms. In my experience the police don't attend when the alarm is activated - even with monitored alarms. The monitoring centre will call the keyholders and they are then expected to call the police if they find that it is a genuine alarm.

Cheers

James.

Viper_7

Kind of agree. Alarms these days are sadly ignored.

Lets face it, car alarms,house alarms,shop alarms are always going off, and what happens.
What do you do? Do you investigate, do you call the police? no, nothing happens.

The thief/Burglar knows this. It annoys them a little, but to the professional it is ignored.
So with regards to monitored alarms by a 3rd party I would not bother.

If it';s just a noise maker...again I wouldn't bother.

A system that actually calls you, or any number of designated numbers (many let you enter several)
You can call the system back and listen in. You can usually give the burglar a piece of your mind in the process and ask them to leave the TV alone.
I think the systems that call you or a neighbor or whatever are better than those that call 3rd parties.
Then at least you could quickly contact a neighbor to give the place a quick once around etc
I purchased a YALE system which is wireless, and also have pets and never had a false activation, and it is a system that will call me if the alarm goes off, and I can also remote set it/disarm it etc.

Peace of mind yes, but dubious of their effectiveness.

princeofpounds

Change the lock barrels rather than the whole lock if you can. Cheaper.

Much more important than an alarm.

lilian1977

Thanks for the advice everyone x

[Deleted User]

Agree with lots of what's been already said.

Definitely change the locks! You've no idea who has sets of keys - no matter what the people you buy the house off tell you (they may have forgotten); also if they've had any dodgy workmen in (e.g. to do up the house to sell it) who may have taken a set (this happened to someone I know). Whenever we've moved, I've always had the locksmith pre-booked to change them the next day.

I got a crime prevention officer to call and he highlighted the weaknesses in our property and how best to fix them. Fantastic advice - and at no cost. ( In fact, after he came, we decided we didn't need a burglar alarm).

I think one of the best things you can do for your home's security is to befriend your neighbours and keep a look out for each other - especially retired people who are at home most of the day !

I've read that most burglaries are "opportunistic" - a thief is passing, sees an open door, an open window .. so a lot of house security is about those daily checks. It's amazing how many people don't even lock their back door. And don't overlook small windows. A friend of mine is married to a policeman and he recently arrested a burglar who had "trained" his very young children to climb up drainpipes, through small windows, and then unlock the doors from the inside,

Keep all valuables out of sight for anyone looking through a window (that especially includes easily portable things like laptops. Don't forget window cleaners (most are honest; but the CSO told me that there are a small minority that aren't, unfortunately, and will keep a look out for valuables that are easily lifted later).

In short - don't give any would-be burglar a reason to choose YOUR house over another.


If you decide to get a burglar alarm, there are lots of sites giving advice about how to choose a burglar alarm, including WHICH at:
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/how-to-choose-a-burglar-alarm-contract/how-to-choose-an-installer/index.jsp

Think about how you want to use the alarm. For example, a friend of mine has a husband who travels a lot and so her alarm can be set to just be on downstairs overnight - when she's upstairs, so she can go to the bathroom, etc. but all her windows upstairs are secure too. If you have pets, you may not want one with motion detectors - but just one that goes off if connections on doors/windows are broken.

In my experience, alarms are often ignored - unless you have a good neighbour who will have a look around the perimeter of the house and let you know if/when it goes off. (Me and my neighbours do this for each other).

However, may be useful if you know you're going to be away a lot?

Gosh, this has turned into a long reply - sorry about that !