Why You Should Use a Home Security Camera System

Safety and peace of mind is extremely important to all of us, and we want to feel these things in our own home more than anywhere else.  Realistically, we live in a world where break-ins occur but that doesn’t mean we have to let this knowledge instill fear.  One of the best ways to not only reduce the likelihood of a break-in as well as offer greater peace of mind is to install a home security camera system.  There are a lot of different camera system providers out there and even more types of systems to choose from, so to help you create a game plan for setting up your own system, we’ll go over some key bits of information that anyone should know before purchasing.

Advantages and Disadvantages

More than anything, the greatest advantage of a home security camera system is that it keeps a safe eye on your family and belongings.  Not only are you more likely to have success solving a crime in your home, such as robbery or vandalism, you’re also more likely to deter a crime from occurring in the first place.  People looking to break into a home are looking for the easiest and least risky targets.  For those scouting out potential home to rob, the presence of a security camera system immediately encourages them to look elsewhere. Besides keeping your home and everyone in it safe, security cameras also enable you to have a valuable resource at your fingertips for making insurance claims.  If damage has been sustained to your home or property, it’s likely that your security camera system captured the incident, creating valuable, irrefutable documentation that you can present to your insurance company.  It’s also likely that your homeowner’s insurance won’t be as expensive after you’ve installed a camera system, as insurance companies may view you as a lesser risk.  A security camera system can even help raise your property values, a distinct advantage should you ever decide to sell your home or use its increased equity for a loan. The most immediate disadvantage of a security camera system is the cost to purchase one and have it installed.  Depending on the system and all of its features, you could easily spend a big chunk of change having your property fitted out with cameras.  It might also be hard to reconcile the eyesore that cameras can be.  Even harder to reconcile may be the sense of lost privacy that household members might feel over the installation of interior security cameras.  You’ll need to weigh these pros and cons carefully before you decide on a system.

Choosing the Right System

Picking the right system is all about what you’re wanting to get out of it and the kind of setup preferences you have.  Systems can be wired or wireless and both come with their own pros and cons.  Some people feel concern over wired systems in case the wires are cut, while others feel concern over wireless systems should there be any signal interference or should someone hack into the system.  Both are valid concerns and can be minimized depending on the system and company you chose to deal with, as well as the sort of wireless devices you use. When it comes to features, different systems will obviously perform differently.  Some will simply record video and may use just exterior cameras, while others may include both video and audio recorded from both the exterior and the interior of the home.  You may like have both exterior and interior cameras as this combination makes it much harder for anyone to avoid being captured by the security system.  Interior cameras can come with their own select benefits, anyways. If you have children or you’re purchasing a system for an elderly family member, then interior cameras can be extremely beneficial, especially if you have remote real-time access to them.  Many companies will provide this, even sending you direct updates to your phone.  This monitoring can be useful should someone become injured at home and can’t seek help on their own. Other features of home security camera systems that you might like include motion activated cameras and infrared cameras – an ideal feature for capturing quality video footage at night.  Many systems will also let you speak to a company representative at any time and allow you to grant viewing access to them at particular times.  If you want easy real-time access to your system, you may want to focus on those that really make a point of offering great remote access through the use of computers and smartphones.  Also make sure that you have additional cables and other components should you need to quickly replace anything.