Professional Alarm system vs DIY install?

[SunnyUpNorth]

We have had three companies out to quote for having an alarm system installed. All quite expensive (£1k+) and each use a different system saying their’s is the best....

I’ve also been reading up on systems like Ring and Yale which get brilliant reviews and seem very straight forward to install, add to in the future etc.

DH is concerned that a DIY system would be more susceptible to being tempered with. But for the huge price difference I’m struggling to see what the professionally installed systems offer that the off the shelf ones don’t.

Has anyone got any views on one vs the other? Or which professional systems are best?

I used to work for a professional installer. Honestly, unless you’re paying to have the alarm monitored (so if it goes off a monitoring company are alerted and either dial in or call the police) then a DIY system will be more than sufficient.

Make sure you have a bell box and cover on the front of the house, that’s a big deterrent to would be burglars.

We’ve had a Yale one for years which we put in ourselves

We’ve now stopped using it because we’re sick of spiders setting it off but overall we’ve been very happy with it and would have another

They’re probably better now than ours is

Interesting @FastAndCurious, thanks for that. I’ve looked at the Ring system and I don’t think they do an external bell box. We were thinking about maybe getting a professional cctv system installed externally and then an off the shelf alarm hoping that the cctv in itself would be a decent deterrent.

You can buy a bell and box for next to nothing on amazon, nobody will be able to tell if it’s connected or a dummy but it’s definitely worth doing. CCTV would work also, consider putting the cameras in a cage if it’s easily accessible as they’re easy to tamper with.

Do you still get a discount on home insurance for having a professionally maintained alarm? I wouldn't want just CCTV tbh

I wouldn’t get just cctv but I’m trying to work out of an off the shelf alarm offers everything the professional one does or not.

I’ve actually been told in the past not to tell your insurance you have an alarm. If you do get an alarm and get broken into and you’ve forgotten to put it on apparently it invalidates the insurance. Not sure how true that is.

I think that’s bull , Might be something in it if it’s a business, but not for residential, not unless you have something of very high value and the insurance states it must be on/ working .

It can only invalidate your policy if it is a condition of your policy that the alarm is working and set each night. Check carefully.

@SunnyUpNorth

Interesting *@FastAndCurious*, thanks for that. I’ve looked at the Ring system and I don’t think they do an external bell box. We were thinking about maybe getting a professional cctv system installed externally and then an off the shelf alarm hoping that the cctv in itself would be a decent deterrent.

You NEED that bell box. More than once I was asked just to buy and install a bell box on its own. I put in a £5 circuit that intermittently flashed between 2 small lights.

Off the shelf, alarm system and DIY if confident. And, note to hubby, once anyone hears those opening notes prior to the alarm setting off they'll be on their bikes. They can be tampered with but it will never happen.

Does anyone know if there is any privacy policy for CCTV cameras position? For example, viewing angle of CCTV in backyard may cover neighbour's garden

@Otot there is no breach of privacy or data protection laws if their camera covers your garden, however they must have signs up saying CCTV is in operation.

You can ask them to erase any footage of you under data protection laws and you are entitled to know how any footage of you is stored and you can request copies of any footage of you/your family. They can’t publicise any footage of you either. Most standard CCTV systems erase any footage after around 28 days, unless bigger hard drives have been installed but it will eventually overwrite itself.