Every consumer has the option of buying an alarm system and having it installed in thier home and then arranging for the system to be connected to an alarm monitoring company. The cost for an alarm system can be as low as a few hundred dollars and as high as several thousand depending in the number of alarm points and the sophistication of the system. Usually every basement window and main floor window will be alarmed, all doors, at least one motion sensor and at least one smoke detector if not two. As you add points to the alarm system, the cost will increase. We have identified all of the alarm monitoring points in your home that you may want to consider as a minimum requirement. You can request a quote from any number of alarm companies in your area.

• All Basement Windows
• All main floor windows
• All Doors
• At least one motion detector
• At least one smoke detector, in the basement and bedroom areas
• Two key pads, one at the front door and one at the garage door for concienence
• Panic alarm in the bedroom
• Siren inside as well as one that can be heard outside the home
• System contol panel
• With a modem for dialing out to the alarm company

Well it is not exactly free. alarm companies will provide most or all of the components we discussed in the previous paragraph with no upfront charges, however they will ask you to sign a contract for a period of time. One year is usually the minimum, however the contracts can be longer depending on the size and complexity of your installation. Alarm companies love this approach since they are able to lock the customer in for a minimum contract length and usually the customer will continue after the contract is over.

This can be a great approach for consumers, who may not want to spend the upfront capital of installing and alarm system. Instead they begin with regular small monthly payments. So some of the advantages are:

• Monthly payments
• No large capital up front that needs to be spent
• System installed and monitored professionally

One drawback of a monitored system is false alarms. depending on the procedure that you have agreed to, your alarm company will first phone your home if you have an alarm come in to their alarm centre and then depending if there is a response, they will call the police to visit your home. When the police arrive and find there is no alarm situation, you get the bill for a false alarm. You also run the risk that if there are many false alarms, they may not be so quick to arrive and this is just when you really need them.

LINK TO our Home Alarm Page for more information.