How to Choose a Home Alarm and Cut Vacated Property Insurance

Jul 3, 2015Unoccupied Property Insurance

When it comes to choosing a home alarm system do not fall into the trap of thinking one size fits all. There are many things you need to consider, some of which you have probably never thought of.

As a home alarm system can be a costly investment you want to get it right the first time, and you need to look past the minimum requirements to get a reduction on your vacant property insurance. Here are our top tips on how to choose a home alarm that ticks all the boxes when it comes your personal requirements.

vacated property insuranceMonitored or not Monitored – look at your Vacant Property Insurance T&Cs

Monitoring is very much the way to go in modern alarm systems and there are a couple of ways of doing this. Firstly you can pay a company a monthly fee to monitor your alarm and you agree with them whether to contact you, the police, or both, should your alarm be triggered. Another popular, and cheaper method, is to link it to your mobile phone so your phone rings the moment your alarm in compromised.

Check the number of possible access points

This may seem like a no brainer but many have installed alarm systems and missed a window as they thought they were too small. Include EVERY door or window when it comes to shopping for your home alarm.

 

Consider household habits

One of the aspects often overlooked and many a midnight feaster has triggered an alarm unknowingly, as have pets which roam the house at nights. You should also look at whether you have extremely valuable items which will need extra surveillance such as CCTV cameras etc. The habits of your household will greatly determine how many motion detectors you need as well as their placement, so jot them all down in advance. Check out the terms and conditions of the vacated or empty property insurance you have.

Wired or Wireless – which is better for insuring an empty house

This is very much down to personal choice as both types should cover your entire property adequately. Some prefer the wired variety purely because it makes them feel safer whilst others opt for the high tech wireless variety so they don’t have wires running around their home. Also be aware that should you choose to have a wired system installed there will be quite a few holes drilled in your walks. If you choose wireless on the other hand you must ensure that the range of the transmission must be strong enough to cover your entire property and every access point.

Ensure it is user friendly

You would think that all modern alarm systems were easy to use, unfortunately this is simply not the case. If the one you are considering comes with a list of instructions the size of an epic novel then give it a wide berth. Changing access codes etc should be straightforward enough for all family members to do and making mistakes and locking down systems will cost you in the long run when you have to call people out to fix it.

Cost of Empty House Insurance

Although the general rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for this doesn’t always apply to alarm systems, particularly if you have a relatively small property. If you see an alarm and think there must be something wrong with it as it’s so cheap do a bit of homework online. You will find reviews for it that will tell you whether it’s a great deal or really is too good to be true.

If you want a good quote for cheap vacated property insurance then we will be delighted to offer – get a quote.