Cost of fitting a burglar alarm?

[AmyFarrahFowler]

What would you expect to have a burglar alarm fitted?
My house is an old terrace, just two rooms downstairs, I'd like to be able to alarm the downstairs overnight whilst we're upstairs but have no idea how much it might cost.

Can anyone give me a ball park figure? I don't want to get them out to give me a quote if its way, way more than I can afford. Thanks.

some advice here, depending on what you want

We had a few quotes are they were all in the region of £1000 (GULP)

5 bed house, SW London

We are in the North East, 4 bed house, and paid £250 in june of this year, that was with a bit of a discount as we used the company in our last house as well.

Approx £1000 in the South for a downstairs of 3 bed house.

Wireless sensors though in my case, and I haven't actually made the apt to get it fitted but all the quotes are in so they won't be far out.

We bought a DIY alarm kit from B&Q last year for about £100 and fitted it ourselves, it wasn't too fiddly.
I don't think it counts on your home insurance as being alarmed officially, but it gives us peace of mind. The on/off button is on a little keyfob on my keys too which is handy.

Also got a DIY kit, IIRC £50 from Maplin

It works well, but only has one sensor, so it depends on your layout, if that would be adequate.

I am now feeling like a complete mug!

We've just had one with wireless sensors, vibration detectors and window sensors, remote key fob control and it phones us if the alarm goes off. It was just under £1000.It was the most compeptive I could find and that the insurers approved of.

Thanks guys, I've had a quote of approx £500, with the man coming out next week to give a proper quote. According to that Guardian article thats about what it should cost (out of London I guess!). Its only for a bell only system, don't think we can afford a monitored system. Thanks again.

We paid about £650 for one with sensors in five rooms and a panic button, plus £80 or so for one year's service/ checks etc. Bell only- we assumed with police cutbacks that all monitored bells will be ignored anyhow. Quite a lot of technical issues as we're a flat so they have to run the wires outside etc.- took two guys one full day to install.

Anyway, we're v. happy with it, even if the insurance don't give a discount for any kind of burglar alarm.

Your £1000 quote sounds quite reasonable in comparison susie.

I went for Panther alarms last year for a 3 bed semi it was 600 pounds. Great service a very professional company