In today's day and age, burglars are getting much braver when it comes to breaking and entering. The need for quality home protection has risen, along with the various amounts of technology homeowners are using to protect their family and property. If you've been considering installing a home security system, there are several things to take into consideration so you're choosing the system that will work best for your needs. 

To Monitor Or Not To Monitor

Monitoring involves a phone call being made to your local 911 operator in the event that your alarm is triggered. The operator immediately dispatches the police or firefighters to your home, depending on the type of alarm that has gone off. Monitoring services cost an additional monthly fee, but it could be worth it if you travel a lot or work long hours when no one is home very often. Otherwise, you might not need monitoring since most burglars will run as soon as they trigger the alarm or your motion lights turn on. 

Professional Install Or DIY

A professional home security system installation company can help you strategically place lights, motion detected cameras, and other security system items around your home. They also know how to correctly wire everything inside of one main panel for you, and they'll show you how to operate the alarm's keypad. But hiring a pro can cost you extra money and today's new systems often don't even require the use of wires. Consider choosing a wireless system that you can easily install yourself to save money. And, with a wireless system, you can move the cameras whenever and wherever you need to.

Remote Smartphone Apps Or No Remote Views

Many modern home security systems offer smartphone applications you can pair with the system that allows you to remotely monitor any activity going on with the swipe of a finger. These apps are great for keeping an eye on your house when you're away, and they also let you save and store any footage you might need to present to the police as evidence. However, many people find themselves obsessing over what's going on back at home while they're working or out doing other things. Sometimes, being able to see what's going on around your home when you're not there can cause more stress. It is good to be able to see activity remotely, but you may want to consider whether or not your smartphone monitoring app is going to cause you to be preoccupied too often.