If you have a house alarm, how often do you set it? If the answer isn’t ‘every time you leave the house’, then you’re not using your alarm correctly. With home security being such an important concern for many homeowners, double locked doors and windows often don’t feel like enough. As a result, sales of alarm systems have never been higher. The problem is that alarms are only effective if you actually set them and use them properly. Otherwise, they’re just an expensive decoration for your house!
If you’re feeling a little guilty right now, don’t worry. Despite all of the advantages, a staggering number of people don’t use their security system regularly, or at all. And when we speak to them about why they need to set their house alarm, even if they’re only popping to the corner shop, we tend to hear the same few excuses. All of which are absolute rubbish. So if you ever hear yourself saying one of these 4 things, we urge you to think again.
It’s A Hassle
This is absolutely the number 1 reason we hear for not setting house alarms. It’s just another step to remember when you’re on your way out of the house, and if you’re also trying to wrangle kids, pets or are simply in a rush, it feels impractical. And if you’re settling in for the night, that extra step can feel arduous, not to mention the idea of disarming it if a family member sets it off in the night is just too much hassle. That’s why modern security systems are designed with a very simple user interface that can be armed and disarmed with just one or two button pushes. They’ve been made as easy to use as possible, so you can’t use the excuse of it being too complicated anymore!
I’m Afraid Of Setting It Off Accidentally
No one likes the sound of blaring alarms, so the last thing you want is them going off when there’s nothing wrong. But modern alarm systems are a bit more sophisticated than old ones, and they come with some extra features to mitigate accidental triggering. For example, if you have pets you might be worried about them triggering the alarm at night while you’re asleep. But modern alarms don’t just look at movement, they also track heat signatures, and they’re smart enough to tell the difference between a person and a cat due to the way the heat is distributed. And if you set the alarm off yourself by mistake, they also come with an easy to use interface that allows you to turn it off quickly, and communicate with any monitoring centre you might be connected to that it was a mistake.
I’m Home, Why Should I Set It?
This is perhaps the most common reason we hear, and we get it. With remote working soaring in popularity in the last few years, homes are occupied almost all of the time.but that doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk from burglars anyway. A staggering 28% of burglaries happen when someone is at home, so you really can’t count on that alone to keep you safe.
On top of that, not setting your alarm when you’re at home means you’re more likely to get out of the habit of setting it. So when you do pop down to the corner shop for 5 minutes, you might not bother to set the alarm. But burglars really don’t need a lot of time to do their work – they want to be in and out of your property as fast as they can. So even if you’re only gone 5 minutes, you’re still leaving your home and valuables at risk. Setting your alarm just adds that extra layer of security and peace of mind!
I Have A Dog, So It Doesn’t Matter
While we’re sure Fido is a very good guard dog, he really is no substitute for a house alarm. Yes, a loud dog can act as a deterrent to burglars and thieves, but not always, and there have been cases of burglars injuring or even killing dogs to silence them during home invasions. This is the last thing you want for your dog! So yes, while your dog can act as an extra layer of protection, a state of the art home security system and signage on the outside of your home should be your first line of defence.
At Securifix, we unfortunately see the reality of burglaries in our work every day. And a lot of the time when we get called out to assess for a new security system, a break in has already happened. But if you are proactive with your home security, including using it properly and setting your alarms, you can dramatically reduce the risk of home invasion. If you would like to know more about home alarm systems, or if you want to take advantage of our free security survey, just get in touch with the team today to book.
