If you are looking for a burglar alarm system, here are some things to keep in mind…

Although there are a lot of options, a security system, whether you buy it for $10 or install professional one, has the same or similar functions. An alarm will either sound some sort of loud siren or alarm, flash lights on the outside of your house, and/or connect you to the police. Obviously the cheaper your system is, the less of these functions it will have and the less of your house it can overlook. Exactly what type of system you get is entirely up to you. Some are people are fine with just having a loud siren in one of their doors while others can’t live without a full-fledged security system. Here are the general levels of burglar alarms you can get…

These are ones, which will cost in the neighborhood of $5 to $20, which you attach to a door or window. If you feel that one of your doors or windows is particularly vulnerable you can just buy one of these alarms for that opening. People who buy these cheap systems say that they do just as good a job as ones, which are connected to the police, because any alarm’s main defense is the deterrence that it offers by way of sound.

One of the more interesting products I found was the “
GE 50246 Smart Home Door Stop Alarm”, which you can get for less than $10. If you are on a business trip or on vacation you can bring it with you to act as your portable burglar alarm system.

Many opt for these types of systems because they don’t want any monthly fees or expensive installation. There are few of these products available of which the “Skylink SC-1000 Complete Wireless Alarm System” seems to be the most popular (at least according to Amazon user reviews). Rather than the system triggering the security company to call you to see if everything is okay, you can have the system set to call your friends, neighbors, family, and your own cell phone. You have to keep in mind that because such systems are wireless they’ll only work for smaller houses. Furthermore, because there is a limited number of sensors, you’re going to have to buy more stuff to cover your entire residence. 

These are the ones you see on commercials, of which ADT is the most recognizable. In the event that that the alarm is triggered someone from the security company calls your house. If nobody picks up or if the person does not know the special code, the police is sent to your house. In order to get a system from a security company you’re going to have to pay about $300 in installation expenses (you do not keep the equipment once you cancel their service) and about $30 per month in monthly fees.

People often switch from level 3 type alarms to the less expensive ones because they feel that the monthly fees are unnecessary. If you opt for a level 2 type system and nobody is in your house, how well the system works depends on who the alarm calls once someone breaks in. If nobody bothers to check your house, a robber may get away with a lot of loot if they are not warded off by the alarm. With a level 3 system you have the benefit of knowing the police will come to your house if nobody is in it.

The main complaint with burglar alarm systems is that there are a lot of false alarms. If you’re buying an alarm from a security you can even be charged every time the alarm goes off by accident! These false expenses can really add up if you live in a windy area for example. With all false alarms you are also disturbing your neighborhood, which will not make you the most popular neighbor on your block. If you are buying a system online, make sure to read user reviews on sites such as Amazon.com.

Watch out for security system salesmen who go door to door. They may offer you a “free” system, which isn’t really free in the first place.  

No alarm is 100% guaranteed to stop someone from hurting you or stealing something. Thieves know that they have a certain amount of time before the police will come.

Don’t fall for anyone’s scare tactics. Although security companies will not like to admit it, they know that people buy their products out of fear. 

Aside from getting a burglar alarm you want to make sure that your windows and doors are tightly sealed. Invest in a solid door lock and make sure that all of your windows are sealed.