Why Setting Up Home Security Should be Next on Your To-Do List

It has been a year for finally completing home projects, even if they’ve been done…reluctantly. We’ve built garden boxes, read way too much about sourdough starters, reorganized our dusty garage shelves, and may have even started learning about homesteads to pass the time. We finally started crossing tasks off our To-Do Lists that have been on there for ages, and in the end, it gave us a small sense of control in a pretty uncontrollable time.

So, what should be the next item on your home's to-do list? Adding a home security system.

Protect What You’ve Built

Unfortunately, anything that isn’t locked down is a target for thieves.

Maybe you bought a new bike so you can go safely exercise outside. You possibly refined your craftsmanship skills and built a brand-new, Pinterest-worthy birdhouse. Or, you finally fixed up that old moped that has been sitting in your garage for years now.

What do all of those things have in common? They can easily be stolen.

It’s not paranoid to want to protect the things that you care for — in fact, it’s just smart. If someone walks away with your new bike without any video evidence, you’re likely never getting that bicycle back. Now that the moped is working, it’s a lot easier to move and resell. And the birdhouse? There are probably some artisanal criminals out there ready to have their own perfectly crafted bird haven.

While we’re home and taking a deeper look at our backyards and homes, why not take a step to protect all that you’ve worked for? Home security systems offer different packages based on your needs. If you want a camera angled directly from your home to your backyard, you can get a specific, wide-angled camera just for that surveillance. For garages, you'll need to make sure that the devices are connected to your home's Wi-Fi, and you can look at Wi-Fi extenders if not. Everything from window sensors to HD cameras can start protecting your family, as well as your valuables, from crime.  

And, if there’s one benefit to 2020, it’s that the technology of home security systems is now better than ever. Instead of cumbersome installation processes, confusing safety protocols, and archaic alarm systems, home security has entered the age of mobile apps and ease-of-use.

Whether you set up a doorbell camera or go for a whole-house system, choosing a home security option should be hassle-free. From getting completely hands-off installation to seamless device integration, setting up a home security system is a project that will protect all the other projects you've been working on.  

Do-It-Yourself vs. Professional Installation

Depending on the type of security you want in your home, you can choose between a do-it-yourself camera setup or a more advanced professional installation.

Do you want sensors for every window and door in a larger home? You may want to opt into a professional installation. Want to see what your dog is up to while you’re at work? You can do this with a simple DIY setup that keeps a camera aimed at a particular part of your home.

Tried-and-true companies like ADT install security systems professionally and monitor your cameras 24/7 to ensure that everything is working properly. However, for an arrangement like this, ADT does require a contract, which can be a prickly subject for new homeowners. With a monthly fee, you can expect around-the-clock service that will alert you in the case of burglaries, medical alerts, natural disasters, and more. 

On the other hand, DIY systems like SimpliSafe are easy to set up, but you won’t get that in-home professional insight to identify the perfect placement of your systems. You’ll typically be able to quickly and easily get your home security system running within an hour, but you’ll have to be the one calling the shots on placement and angles. These services won't leave you in the dark for your home setup, though — you can expect a thorough walk-through on the phone, if needed. Plus, once you do have your SimpliSafe system in place, you'll have 24/7 professional monitoring without the annoying contract that comes along with it. 

Who Should Choose a DIY Home Security System?

Most security devices you’ll find are wireless, so you don’t have to hassle with wires being lined throughout the house. A DIY home security system can be installed within a few hours, and you can start controlling your system via your smartphone by the end of the setup.

You’ll get step-by-step instruction on how to install your DIY devices, and you can even customize the equipment and pieces that you get to make the process simpler. Overall, the DIY home security options make it easy to start having more control over your home, especially with high-priced items in certain parts of your home or outdoor space. The only thing you have to wait on is receiving the devices in the mail. 

Setting up your own home security system is great for people who:

✓Have a smaller area to monitor
✓Prefer a contract-free subscription
✓Are on a tighter budget
✓Want a simple surveillance system
✓Expect to move semi-frequently
✓Rent their home to guests

Inviting professional installers to your home requires your time and presence, so if you have a busy schedule, you might want to get a DIY security system that can be installed on your terms. For rental properties, making an appointment with a professional, as well as your tenants, can be a huge hassle, making it nearly impossible to coordinate a whole-house install.

As just one of the examples of a simple monitoring device, if you want to keep an eye on your front porch to see if you can catch any porch pirates in the act, a DIY system is easy to install, quick to activate, and painless on the wallet. You can get a SimpliSafe doorbell cam that keeps a watchful, HD-quality eye from the front step. With its smart sensors, you can connect it to everything in your home from the light switches to open windows. Affordable 24/7 monitoring sends video evidence to the police in the event of a break-in so they can respond sooner and catch criminals in the act. 

SimpliSafe security packages give you the power of self-monitoring as well, so you can check in when you need to and get alerted when you’re not tuning in. This makes it easier to do random check-ins for non-emergency occasions. 

Who Should Choose a Professionally Installed Home Security System?

On the other end of the spectrum, you can turn to a professional installation to ensure that all vulnerable corners of your home are covered and secured. With an in-home safety inspection, professionals can easily spot areas that might be missed by the untrained eye.

Home security systems like Vivint lean on this idea, maintaining that a professional installation is vital to their home security products. It makes sense — after all, you wouldn’t trust yourself to do an electrician’s work, hence why professionals are…professionals.

Asking for a professional home security installation is great for people who:

✓ Have more intricate security needs
✓ Have a larger area to monitor
✓ Are looking for indoor and outdoor surveillance
✓ Can spend more money on their system
✓ Want a knowledgeable security assessment
✓ Prefer a less hands-on presence of their installation
✓ Can't physically access trickier installation points 

ADT, a security system with a track record of over 145 years of trusted experience, will not only send out professional installers, but also provides continuous professional monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’ll have specialists responding to any sensor triggers or system alerts, who can then connect your home with emergency responders if warranted.

It’s All Easy Now

You’ve probably heard the stories about rogue security systems going off in the middle of the night, or a doorbell camera that won’t stop alerting you when a neighborhood dog is in the yard. Thankfully, with new systems, they’ve advanced past this.

Everything that you install in your home will connect to your smartphone, so you can always be on top of whatever alert comes up. You can get a text about a package delivery arriving at your door, you’ll know when a neighbor stops by to say hi, and you can even turn your camera on to see if you turned your car headlights off or not. With everything connected to your device, home security is easier than ever to control.

Along with that, sensors are getting smarter. SimpliSafe has designed technology to recognize human movement rather than that of an animal or vehicle. Because of this, you won’t get alerted when a squirrel runs past your camera, giving you a little more peace in your day.

Connecting your home security to your smartphone means that you can access your home from anywhere that you are. So, in the future, when we’re not already at home 24/7, we’ll be able to check in with how our pets are doing, if your kids locked the door, if your new shoes got delivered, and so on.

Know What Goes on at Home

Even though we are spending a lot more time at home, that doesn’t mean we’re able to watch every corner of our house. You can’t monitor your driveway in your sleep, but a home security system can. 

When we do start to spend more time away from the house, we’ll find comfort knowing that our home is safe and secure. It's enough to worry about everything that is going on outside of our homes — we should trust that our homes are our safe zones. Plus, we spent way too much time on our garden boxes to not be able to surveil our veggies from afar. 

The biggest reason to add home security to your projects list? You can finally feel like you have more control over this wild ride of a year.

Want to know which home security system to choose? We've compared and reviewed the top home security systems so you can start securing your home in no time.