Are House Alarms Worth the Cost? A Look at ROI and Appeal

Are house alarms worth it? Americans spend over $20 billion on home security every year. Despite the amount of money spent on house alarms and home security, if you watch the news, it seems like property crimes keep increasing.

It makes you wonder if buying an alarm for your home is worth the costs. Keep reading as we demystify the ROI of house alarms and discover if it’s worth the investment or not.

The ROI of House Alarms

If you want to know what the ROI is on a house alarm, you have to define what a return looks like. In this analysis, we’re going to examine the return on investment in term of property value and whether or not you’re safer.

Safety & Security

A home is seen as a sanctuary. A place to feel safe and secure. Yet, most Americans don’t feel that way about where they live. About two-thirds of Americans don’t feel safe at home.

That could be for a number of reasons. It could be that they live in an area with a high crime rate. It could also be the influence of watching the news. Regular watchers of news feel unhappier and more fearful about the world than those who don’t.

If you’re part of the group of Americans who don’t feel safe at home, would a home alarm system bring peace of mind? If it does, then how much would that be worth to you? Can you really measure peace of mind?

That’s something you need to ask yourself before you purchase a home alarm system.

Another way to measure the ROI of house alarms is through crime statistics. In 2017, property crimes across the U.S. were down.

That could be due to a number of factors, including more people investing in home alarms. A study by Rutgers University found that home alarms have a direct cause in the drop of neighborhood crimes.

Combine that with a better economy. When the economy is up, crime usually goes down. Put the two together and you have a decline in crime.

Resale Value

One other way to measure the ROI of house alarms is to look at home resale statistics. If you’re planning on selling your home any time soon, you’re going to want to have a look at the resale value.

Home buyers do look at overall improvements to the home when they’re evaluating properties to purchase. An easy to use home security system can increase the value of your home.

If you add a home security system to other improvements, you could make the property sell more quickly.

How to Shop for House Alarms

Are you convinced that house alarms can bring a return on investment? Let’s start shopping.

There are countless options available. Where do you even start?

Start with your needs. Do you just want an alarm that goes off when there’s an intruder? Do you want a connected system that has cameras connected so you can see what’s happening? You can also get an alarm that notifies the authorities when it’s activated.

If you travel often, you may opt for the second or third option.

You also have to keep your budget in mind. There are usually installation costs and monthly costs for connected services.

If you have an alarm that notifies the authorities, you don’t want to trip up your alarm accidentally. Your local authorities may charge you for having to come to your site for a false alarm.

Once you have your choice narrowed down, you can start looking online. You can look at a site like Zions Security Alarms, which has a vast array of home security options to choose from.

Smart Alarms for Your Home

You’re probably familiar with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. These home assistants can schedule important reminders, turn on your lights and find things to watch on TV all on command.

Home security systems are becoming more and more integrated with these smart home systems. Some of these systems have apps so you have full control as to what’s going on in your home.

For example, if you catch someone breaking into your home, you could activate a camera and speak directly to those breaking into your home.

Hiring a Security Installation Company

You may be tempted to install the home alarm yourself. You could do that if the system you’re going to install is a wireless system.

For anything hardwired, you need a professional installer. You also want to be sure that you choose a reputable security installation company to work with. Most companies are legit and perform great work.

Like almost any other industry, you have to be wary of scammers. You want to make sure that the company you choose is licensed and insured.

Be on the lookout for free installation with your home security package. You could save money on the installation costs.

You can do your research online for customer reviews and to get a sense as to whether or not the company operates with integrity.

Calling the home security company’s customer service line will also give you an idea as to how they operate. If the service is friendly and responsive, you can count on that being the case when you really need assistance with your system.

House Alarms Have an ROI

Buying a house alarm isn’t an easy decision. Only a small percentage of homes have house alarms, yet everyone wants to feel safe inside their own home.

The big question for many homeowners is whether or not investing in home security is worth it. When you take into consideration the impact home alarms have on your peace of mind, neighborhood crimes, and the resale value of your home, it’s a no brainer.

Home alarm systems are definitely worth it. Are you getting ready to buy or sell properties in South Florida? Start gathering market intelligence now with these most recent sales.

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