User:VirubuDuzoge

Home Security Monitoring

It's the end of a long day; you're just getting ready to sit down to dinner with the family when you hear a knock on the front door. Greeting you is a salesman offering a free security system to everyone in the neighborhood. You may stand there for a few minutes and listen to his pitch, or you may reject him out of hand so you can get back to dinner. Yet as your evening turns into night, you're wondering if the cost of monthly monitoring is worth it.

According to U.S. government statistics, it's worth every penny. That's because more than 2 million home burglaries occur in this country every year, at an average cost of $1,500 in stolen property. Add to that the damage done to the house by the burglar and the total cost could be twice that. And in terms of your own feelings of peace and security, they cannot be measured with a dollar amount.

Preventing Entry

Today's home security is about preventing burglars from entering your home rather than simply catching them after the fact. Believe it or not, FBI statistics show that nearly 60% of all home burglaries occur during daylight hours when homes are vacant and people are off to work. In the vast majority of cases burglar enters right through the front door either by brute force or through tampering with the lock. More amazingly, a skilled burglar can get inside your home in under a minute.

All that said any home security company worth its salt provides customers with lawn placards and window decals. These things are meant to be a warning to potential burglars that your home is being monitored. That's enough to deter all but the most ruthless criminals from even trying to enter. No burglar wants to attract attention to himself, so if he knows a home is being monitored he will simply choose another one.

Homeowners Insurance Discount

While it's true that the cost of home monitoring is very reasonable in most cases, you can effectively pay even less by getting a discount on your homeowners insurance. Not every insurance company offers a discount for home security, but many do. That discount can range anywhere between 5% and 15% depending on your carrier. Regardless, every little bit we can save is money that can be used elsewhere.

More than Just Intruder Protection

Burglary aside, there are other ways to protect yourself with home security monitoring. Most companies also offer carbon monoxide monitoring, fire monitoring, and even monitoring for individuals with life-threatening health conditions. Full systems like these are most beneficial to the elderly who live alone or those who are lacking mobility for one reason or another. Having home monitoring means those individuals are safer than they would be otherwise.

You owe it to yourself and your family to investigate the possibilities of home security monitoring. It's the best way to protect your safety, your possessions, and your overall peace of mind.