Home Burglar Alarm System

Artful_Dodger_2

First Post

Morning all. Am deliberating the installation of a Burglar Alarm system for home. Usual noise box, sensors, etc. Knowing that traditionally you get what you pay for, has anyone any idea how much is reasonable to expect to pay for the installation/setup, and any ongoing costs etc? :question Am I best using a national company or a local firm?

simonhgreen

I had a basic alarm system fitted a couple of years ago. I live in a 3 bed end terrace and everything fitted cost just under £400.

It has 4 sensors (you don't need them in every room, just strategically well-placed)

A good firm will plan it & fit it. I don't know where you are (I'm in South Wales) but have a look on the NACOSS website for approved suppliers.I went for a local firm recommended by word of mouth & on the NACOSS website (although mine isn't a NACOSS alarm).

My partner has a far more sophisticated system fitted at the same time (both were responses to her being burgled). This is a real belts & braces job with key fobs & it rings you (or 2 alternative numbers) from a call centre if the alarm goes off for two minutes without being turned off (they ring the house first to see if there's a problem & you have to give them your password you agreed in case you're the burglar).

This system cost £1000 and needs a yearly service of about £70. However, she has a 5 double-bedroomed (bloody huge) house that's quite secluded and needed loads of sensors, pet sensitive sensors, etc.

You do get what you pay for, but mine is absolutely adequate considering the size & location of my house (remember this when thinking of what you really need).

At the end of the day any system will cost less than getting burgled once, and infinitely less than the pain & grief of coming back to a robbed house-trust me, get an alarm & peace of mind!

Hope this helps
Si

alanobrien

Artful_Dodger wrote:

First Post

Morning all. Am deliberating the installation of a Burglar Alarm system for home. Usual noise box, sensors, etc. Knowing that traditionally you get what you pay for, has anyone any idea how much is reasonable to expect to pay for the installation/setup, and any ongoing costs etc? :question Am I best using a national company or a local firm?

Go for a local company and preferably one recommended to you and Narcoss approved.

Expect to pay anything from £400 to £850 depending on the number of zones, sensor type (dual tech PIR + microwave are best) and panel you choose.

Annual service will be anything from £50 to £100
and if done properly will take at least an hour to complete.

If the back of the house faces a field or similar, get a second bell box for that side and make sure it has flashing LED's. Daft i know, but people associate this with a "live" system.

Go for a fully wired installation, these are more reliable.

Whatever you decide, i do advise getting one, if nothing else they are a pretty good deterant.

Artful_Dodger_2

Thanks lads. Have had a trawl though the NACOSS website, and ADT seem favouite at the moment, as this has a 24 hr response line to the police.

Really appreciate your input - thanks

wacko911

Might want to read this:

An Insiders Guide to How It’s Done and How to Prevent It by B. Andy

http://www.omnipresence.mahost.org/alarms.htm

Best to read it, think like a burglar, then design and install your own system.

Lots of good ideas and advice in the ebook, eg, monitored alarms do not dial out unless there is a confirmation alarm, ie 2 or more zone have been triggered. Burglars know this, and can target one room. Also a lot of people arm the ground floor and sleep on the 1st floor at night, burglars know this also and will come in via a first floor window, rob you while you sleep and exit via the 1st floor window!

£200-300 quid for the kit, including, 6 PIR's (or all ground floor premiter rooms + 1 on each additional floor), Speechdialler, 2 Keypads, 2 keyfob panals, 2 Live battery backed- up bells, internal sounder (118dB! Make any burgular leave as its so damn loud), smoke detectors, panic button and Mag contacts on all exterior doors.

Oh and about 8 hours to wire the damn thing up.

Artful_Dodger_2

Absolutely top draw wacko!! Jus the job. Will investigate - cheers

simonhgreen

I'd forget about the police monitoring thing.

There's no guarantee they'll come within any set time, & if you have 3 false calls they'll blacklist you & not come out anyway.

With the 3 numbers system & call centre you know that they'll contact you within a couple of minutes & you can then decide what you want to do.

This system has worked well for us, and we have a close neighbour who is the 3rd number when we're away.

RedOnRed

I had a NACOSS installed system put in April 2004 and it cost around £1100. Mind you, it does cover every room in the house and the garage. You'd have to do an Ocean's Eleven or something to get round it.

I'm the kind of person that won't do something unless I can do it properly.