Peace of Mind: How to Build your own Home Security System

Protecting your family and your possessions has to be amongst your top priorities as a homeowner, and if you possess a bit of DIY know-how you should be able to design and install your own bespoke system.

Here are some pointers on what sort of things you need to install to create a system that provides the level of protection you want. They including a checklist of basic equipment, tips for external security features, plus ways to make the most of available technologies that can protect your home.

Shopping for the right security equipment and accessories

In order to be able to create a system that goes some way to giving you peace of mind in your home, you should try and cover as many bases as possible with your system.

This means not only monitoring for and deterring intruders but having various sensors around your home that give you an early warning of a problem with smoke, heat or carbon dioxide.

On your shopping list should be things like external video cameras, motion sensitive spotlights, door and window contacts for detecting a break-in, plus various sensors and detectors, including smoke and heat, plus carbon dioxide detectors.

You can search for various accessories and components you might need at a site like RS Components, also, you will need to find a suitable base station that allows you to connect your cameras to a central point for monitoring.

A good tip for ease of installation would be to look for a wireless system as it can be set up quickly and easily without having to channel any wiring through your walls.

See what is going on outside

If you are going down the DIY route with your security system and want to keep the cost down as much as possible a sensible option would be to choose some external video cameras that come with software to let you watch what’s happening on your TV.

If you combine this setup with installing outside security lighting that comes on when motion is detected you will be able to deter intruders when they are bathed in light and see who is there on the screen before answering the door or deciding what to do next.

Audible alarm

There are often conflicting opinions about whether it is a good idea to have sirens as part of your alarm system or not.

The sound of a siren going off can scare a burglar away when the alarm is activated but it is not always guaranteed to be effective as the warning sound might be ignored by neighbors or someone passing if they assume it is just a fault that has triggered the alarm or bad weather.

Watching your home from anywhere

Another cost-effective way of monitoring your home without the monthly expense of employing a security firm is to search out a system that lets you connect to your home using an app on your smartphone.

For example, you can get a wireless doorbell that has an integral camera, so you can answer the caller even when you are not at home, to see who it is without having to reveal that you are not there at the moment.

There are also sensors that can send an alert to your phone and let you connect to a camera in your home for live pictures of what is happening and whether you need to alert the police.

Having a home security system will provide peace of mind and it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to achieve that aim.