Top 10 Home Security Myths

Home security has been around for a while, making it easy for many of us to miss some of the advancements in home security strategies and technology over the years. This can lead to the creation and spread of a number of home security myths.

Some of these come from home security problems that have been solved for years, while others come from general misconceptions. Either way, it’s always worth educating yourself about these misconceptions to learn about how at home security systems can and can’t help you. That’s why we’ve busted some of the biggest myths out there below.

It’s too expensive.

Years ago the only way to install a home security system was to pay a whole lot of money to install a permanent system in your home, and then pay a heavy monthly fee for monitoring service. A lot of that was down to technological limitations, but those price barriers have been broken down in recent years.

New advancements like wireless and modular security systems have made it more affordable to get a good security system in your home. Even better, you don’t have to subscribe to an expensive monthly plan. They’re much more affordable now, starting at low prices of just $5.99 per month.

It can’t happen to you.

It’s always easy to believe that bad things can’t happen to you. While this gives us all peace of mind, it also means we’re unprepared if something bad does happen to us. The same can be true for preparing your home security strategy. If you think burglaries are rare or that you live in a safe area, it’s easy to forget about protecting your home.

The more prepared you are, the better chance you can either deter potential burglaries or catch a burglar after the fact.

A guard dog is all you need.

You have a big, loyal dog in your backyard or home that’s trained to protect you and your family. That can be a big help to protecting your home, but it’s also not 100% effective by itself. Home security is best when you’re using a number of strategies at the same time.

While we love our dogs, they’re not perfect. Dogs can be distracted or harmed by a skilled burglar, which makes pairing them with a security system a great idea. Many modern security systems account for dogs and cats, and don’t count them as triggers for motion sensors and smart cameras.

Your home is too remote.

You value your privacy, so you decided to get a home in the comforts of the woods or another remote area. It’s tempting to think you’re avoiding burglars, but it’s simply not true. Burglaries in cities outside of metropolitan areas are higher than burglaries within metro areas, according to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.

In fact, burglaries in rural counties aren’t too far off from urban counties either.

Why? In more populated areas, there’s a higher risk of a burglar getting caught by a car driving past a home or people walking the street late at night. This is why burglars often choose off-street windows to enter your home. Because of this, remote homes can become targets for burglaries.

Alarms don’t work.

There’s nothing worse than a security alarm getting triggered and a response coming too late. We see this often in horror movies, where someone breaks into a home and the police don’t arrive for some time. On the flip side, there can be false alarms when there is no threat.

These instances can destroy your confidence in your system, but the fact is that many modern security systems offer a lot more choice.

You can set up some systems to notify the police much sooner than previously possible. You can also take control and call the police yourself with easy-to-use home security system mobile app. This way, you’re calling the police directly and minimizing false alarms. Plus, alarms put a great strain on burglars.

It reduces the chance they can actually take anything from your home. The alarm’s noise also makes it more likely your neighbors wake up and see the burglar as they run away, too.

You need a phone line.

Mobile phones have taken over as our primary ways of talking to people. For a lot of people, this meant they could cancel their phone lines. If you don’t have a phone line, you may think you can’t get yourself a home security system, as a lot of systems of the past relied on them to contact monitoring centers and first responders.

This isn’t true, as many modern home security systems are completely wireless. They don’t use phone lines, instead relying on the internet to keep in contact with monitoring services and first responders.

Burglaries are fine because everything is replaceable.

The most important thing in any burglary is the safety of you and your family. As long as no one is hurt during a burglary, we try to look on the bright side and tell ourselves that our material possessions are replaceable, we’re safe and everything is okay.

While it’s great to be optimistic, this line of thinking can often ignore the mental scar of a burglary.

Burglaries aren’t just about stealing physical objects. The hardest part is that someone violated your most private and personal space, your home. It can make you feel like you’re unsafe in your own home, and it can be a scary time filled with stress and anxiety.

That’s why it’s important to come up with a home security strategy – if not for your valuables, for your mental health.

There’s no insurance discount.

One of the biggest reasons people don’t invest in home security systems is because of their home owners insurance. They often think it protects them from burglaries. Or, if it doesn’t, that there’s no financial incentive to invest in a system.

This is false. Many home insurance companies offer discounts for installing home security systems, with some discounts hitting 15%. For example, Allstate says discounts are available for people who install alarm systems, deadbolt locks, smoke detectors, fire alarms and more.

Just leave your outdoor lights on.

Lights can make us feel safe. It exposes what’s in darkness, making us comfortable. This can lead us to believe that keeping your outside lights on can protect us from burglaries. After all, if your lights are on why would a burglar approach your home and risk being seen?

Well, it turns out lights can offer burglaries a better look at your home, making it easier to scope out potential ways to enter. They could better see what to avoid in your front yard, or the illumination could yield a pathway to the side of your home.

Instead, opt for motion-detecting lights. This way, if a burglar approaches your home the lights will spring to life and scare them off.

Security systems are unreliable.

Movies have played with security systems for decades now. One of the big things you see in a movie with a burglar is them cutting a phone line or electrical wire, turning off the security systems power. This makes the security system useless, allowing the burglar to take what they want easily.

Modern security systems, however, have learned to counter this. Many of them don’t rely on phone lines, using wireless technology to speak to your mobile phone and monitoring centers. So if a burglar goes for your power or phone line, the system will still work.

Similarly, many of these systems rely on battery power. In the future, many home security systems will also come with internet access of their own, allowing them to communicate with the police even if your internet is out.

The Home Security Reality

The reality of the home security system world is that it’s more affordable than ever with more options forever. For instance, Ooma’s Build Your Own System tool allows you to build your own home security system, adding and subtracting whatever sensors you need for your home.

Ooma Home Security is wireless, which means you don’t rely on a phone or power line to keep it working. All of Ooma’s sensors are wireless, speaking directly to your base station and keeping you updated via the mobile app on your smartphone.

There are a number of added perks Ooma Home Security comes with to make life easier, including Face Tag, remote 911 calling, Automatic Arm and Disarm, remote siren and easy, do-it-yourself installation.

Also Read: Safeguarding Your Home Business