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WWMD- Security System
Hello everyone! I wanted to get your thoughts on having a home security system installed. I know there would be an inital cost and then a monthly, so I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth it.
A little background info: H and I live in a townhouse in a small neighborhood. H works shift work so he goes on night shift almost every other month. We have a small dog that would be completely useless in intimidating anyone if necessary lol. We've had a few things happen that have made me somewhat uncomfortable and they've all happened when H has been on night shift.. About a year ago someone was pounding on our front door (to the point where it woke the neighbors up) around midnight. I was home alone and obviously did not get up to see who it was or what they wanted. A couple months ago I caught someone going thru our recycle bin and taking all of our junk mail (magazines and stuff no personal infomation) out and when I asked him what he was doing he ran off with an arm full. (I've been watching our credit and we're still good) Then last week some dumped our recycle container and stole it.. This more irritated me than scared me. Well yesterday when I went out to my car for work someone had went thru it. I guess I forgot to lock the doors when I carried groceries in the other night so 100% my fault I know, but it just makes me uneasy.
Part of me wonders if I'm just being paranoid.. I've only ever lived with my parents in the country with hardly any neighbors and two HUGE dogs that were very intimidating at 120 pounds each.
All of the incidents have occurred outside the house. If you were in this situation would you get a security system? I've talked to H and at the very least will be putting motion sensor lights on our deck to hopefully deter anyone out back (we park in the back of our house).
Is this kind of stuff normal in a neighborhood? Am I over reacting? What would you do in our situation?
ETA: If you have one do you think it's worth the money? And do you use it? I know some people get them installed and only use them occasionally.
Re: WWMD- Security System
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Yikes, I'm sorry that this is happening to you, it's scary!
I myself felt safe living in our townhouse since there was always people around until last week when we had an expensive coffee maker delivered to our condo and we think it was stolen because we never got the package. We are pissed and I really wish we had camera's set up outside so I could get someone's butt in trouble for it. I never thought I needed a security system there but regardless we are out of there so who cares now.
Looks like someone has a recycling obsession where you live...lol so strange! I know it's not funny but it's suspicious. If I were you I would try the ADT stickers and other signs and see how that goes. If it still doesn't work then I would probably get one just for peace of mind...safety to me is huge! I've never had a security system so I can't give any info on that, but I do know that when we get a house we will probably get one because it's a little different than condo living and I'm kinda scared of break-in's and home invasions after the one in Cheshire many years ago
Thanks everyone for the insight! I think for now I will try to lighting and the ADT sign/sticker. We'll see how this goes. I'm glad to hear this is fairly normal.
Since the one incident of the guy going thru our recycle we stopped putting any mail/paper stuff in there... but it does seem like someone has a recycling obsession in our area lol.
I looked into getting a security system, but just didn't like what I saw. All the big companies have just terrible reviews. Complaints of surprise high fees, systems not working when they should have...or even more commonly...systems going off ALL the time for no reason.
And really, the only reason you would even want to use a company with a monthly monitoring fee is so they will call the police if someone breaks in. But I suspect, at least where I live, that an ADT call to the police would go on a low burner anyway and no one would come out.
A security sign, even if its fake, and auto-lights will go a long way to deter criminal. You can also install your own alarms on doors and windows. I'd think a big loud sound if someone broke in would cause someone to run away.
What's that old analogy about coming into contact with a bear? You don't have to run faster than the bear, you just have to run faster than your friend. Same idea. You don't need to make your house/car impenetrable, you just have to make it a less tempting target than your neighbor's.
100% this. I don't care about MM when it comes to safety and peace of mind. If you can afford it, totally worth it IMO.
Yes, that's scary! Honestly, this is one reason I'm trying to go paperless with everything. I don't want any statements or account numbers sitting in my mailbox. I would rather sort dozens of emails instead.
That is honestly insane. WOW! Our mailbox is a lock and key, which helps. The only bills/statements we have come to our mailbox are HOA and water because apparently they are far behind the times. H recently switched over to paper statements for his 1 credit card and bank account. I'm going to invest in a good shredder.
As far as the security system goes does it have a motion sensor in the house? If so, I'd probably nix the idea anyway. We frequently leave our dog our of her crate and she has free roam during the day so she'd probably set it off all the time. Maybe the window and door alarms would be a good idea for now.
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I'm going to look into some options. Hopefully nothing else sneaky happens in the mean time.
We skipped the inside motion sensor (AT&T allows you to customize per your needs) because we have 3 dogs that would be setting it off all day. And with the door & window sensors we have, if someone actually gets into the house, they will only have bout 90 seconds to make 2 minutes before the police arrive.
I've gone paperless on all of our bills and just print them out if I need to.
Leave exterior lights on at night. They act like "fences" and deter people wanting to do bad things from coming close. Also keep shrubs and other trees trimmed and low near doors and windows. I like the ADT sign too.
And, your small dog may actually be a good thing too. Small dogs tend to bark a lot more than bigger dogs and that kind of noise will also keep intruders away.
On the inside, use privacy window clings or sheer fabrics to let in light but keep out eyes at windows that are at eye level and near the entrances to your home. Also, keep a few lights on timers inside as well. I do this for lights that won't interfere when anyone is sleeping if I want timers on while we are home.
At our old house, I had a small wind chime attached to a shepherd's pole on our deck near the deck steps. One night when DH was gone, something bumped it and it "rang out." Then, all of a sudden it was grabbed, like someone clamped their hands over the chimes to silence it. I was SO freaked out, and flipped on an exterior light.
I am sharing this because you can use a few strategically placed garden ornaments to act as outer "alerts" to signal that someone is in a place they aren't supposed to be in. Motion lights would work this way as well, but are also more costly.
What you can do is review your home and determine the most likely point at which an intruder would access...if you figure out the most vulnerable place, then you can focus some attention there.
Aside from the money, I am actually not a fan of alarm systems. I think they lull people into false senses of security. Face it, if some one wants IN, they will get in regardless of an alarm. Also, with the high-tech punks out there, I'm quite sure anyone could easily disable the "weak" home owners' alarms. It's not like ADT, or any company like it, offers to make your home as secure as the Pentagon.
Where you spend money on an alarm, I would save it and put it toward reinforced doors, better dead bolts, motion lights, and a yard maintenance plan to ensure your yard stays neat and tidy. And, I would also buy a nice baseball bat for you and your DH!
Also, even if you take a walk, be sure to lock your doors and close your garage. If your name is on your mailbox, remove it if you can. Install a peep hole in the front door so you can see who is standing there before opening the door. These cost MAYBE $10 at Home Depot.