If you’re looking to give yourself a gift during the calm that arrives after the holiday madness, then look no further, as the perfect gift might come in the form of a win-win. The gift idea? A new home security system.
“So how is this a win-win?” you might ask.
Here are the two “wins”:
The first reason that it’s a win is fairly obvious, as you and your family can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a centrally-monitored home security service.
Secondly, you can enjoy a discount on your homeowner, condo, or renters insurance as a result of having a protective device installed in your home. Depending on the type of monitoring services you utilize, your discount can end up totaling 10% or more!
Your next question will probably be something along the lines of “How much does it cost?” Given the recent influx of do-it-yourself (DIY) home security systems, the answer is “not as much as you might think.”
For example, you can purchase a new Ring home security system for as little as $179. This package includes the base station, a contact sensor for a door or window, a motion detector, and a range extender that extends the signal from your base station. More robust packages are available that include additional contact sensors and motion detectors, or you can create your own customized layout by purchasing additional sensors and detectors as needed.
The best part of this is that it is quite easy to set up the system yourself, as everything is connected wirelessly. This makes it quite convenient for anyone to have a security system – no matter if you own your home or rent. In addition, professional monitoring is quite inexpensive, as $10 a month will get you “professional monitoring with cellular backup, plus unlimited video recording for all your Ring Doorbells and Cameras.” [1]
Ring isn’t the only company in this market space, as there are a number of highly-rated DIY systems that offer comparable products and systems. SimpliSafe, Nest, Abode, and Ooma offer DIY systems that don’t come with the expensive long-term contracts that people have come to associate with home security monitoring services. As a former customer of SimpliSafe and now a current customer of Ring, I can attest to the flexibility and affordability that these types of systems provide.
Other great add-ons – which I’m sure you’ve seen in recent TV commercials – include video doorbells and surveillance cameras that can be mounted along the exterior of your home. In addition, you can incorporate flood & freeze sensors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and more into your system. In short, you can make your setup as robust as you’d like and can control all of it from your smartphone.
Do yourself a favor and research which system works best for you and your family. Then, once you pull the trigger and install the system, make sure you provide a copy of your alarm monitoring service to your independent insurance agent so that you receive all applicable discounts on your home insurance!
Resources:
[1] https://shop.ring.com/pages/security-system
*Central Insurance Companies is not recommending or endorsing the companies or products listed in this article. Consumers should conduct their own research into the products available.
Post authored by Marc McNulty. Originally published January 8, 2019. View original post at: https://wp.me/p1Iv7E-2YH
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