A Security System Cost Overview

Security systems come in a variety of brands, devices and solutions which can be confusing for someone to understand the costs involved. On average, an Australian security installer charges around $100 an hour. This is the price you’ll likely pay if you are planning on making a self-monitored security system with which you aim to independently monitor your home. Alternatively, you could also use a security monitoring company to set up and assist in monitoring for you. These types of companies usually provide and install devices for you, meaning you could have a security system ready for completely free. Instead of paying anything upfront these company will put you on an 18+ month contract with monthly billing for their services and monitoring, prices usually start around $45 AUD monthly. These two styles of security systems both have benefits and disadvantages, for example, while using a security monitoring company can save you money upfront, you will be signed up for monthly billing which can be expensive. Additionally these company usually have a limited selection of devices and solutions. Alternatively, creating a self-monitoring system will give you the freedom to set up your security system as you like with no monthly billing, although there are significant upfront costs and no assistance from a monitoring team. An additional cost to consider is that secure, reliable internet connection is required to set up any security system.

Tips for Security System Installations

1. If you already own a Smart Home system we recommend you add security devices and IP cameras to easily create your own self-monitored security system. Alternatively, if you don’t own a Smart Home system but would like to set up a self-monitored system we recommend you consider choosing devices which are compatible to add to a Smart Home system. This way if you choose to create a Smart Home system in the future you can have everything on the same system.
2. You don’t need to get the most expensive cameras on the market. Middle of the range cameras are usually enough for the purpose security cameras serve. As long as the cameras can capture a face or car license plate numbers clearly it should be sufficient.
3. Installing sensors around your home is important in a security system. Some sensors including motion sensors or door/window sensors and can assist in notifying you of intruders or movement. These sensors are designed to notify you when they detect movement and can help to inform you of intruders. Additionally, these sensors can be configured to trigger actions from other devices like sirens.
4. There are other security devices available, like flood sensor or electronic mouse traps which can assist in protecting your home from other dangers. Flood sensors can be set up near appliances such as washing machines to monitor water. If these appliances leak the food sensor will detect this and notify you, saving you from potential flood damage.

Tips for Hiring a Professional

1. Doing a bigger project, e.g. multiple solutions or tasks, is more cost efficient than doing multiple small home improvements. It’s more affordable to do one big home improvement project with one professional rather than hiring different professional at different times. By bundling these solutions and tasks together you can receive bulk discounts on hardware and negotiate better installer costs.
2. We highly recommend spending time to plan a project well. If you carefully design the project you will not only have a clear plan for the installer but can also save money through an efficient installation or by fixing potential problems that may cost money to fix in the future.
3. Budget for a little bit extra. While you may get a rough guide to the costs involved online or from the quote, we recommend that you always budget for around 30% more than you expect any project to cost you. While this may not be necessary in the unfortunate situation of problems occurring or upgrades being required you may need this extra 30%.
4. We recommend you always ask potential installers and professionals to provide you with references of their previous work. Experienced professionals should always have a website or portfolio of previous work to show you. This will give you a better understanding of the quality of work that you can expect.
5. Remember to discuss with the installer or professional about who will pay for the hardware costs. If you decided that you’d like the installers to source the hardware then expect that most installers will charge you the recommended retail price for this hardware. Alternatively, if you’d like to save money you could try to find a retail store what will give you a bulk order discount for bigger projects, this way you could save some money by getting the hardware yourself.
6. If you’re unsure about how to do a Home Improvement project we recommend you hire a professional. While you could attempt to do it DIY style this takes time, energy and often frustration. Additionally, if you try to do it yourself and end up damaging something you may create a second problem that requires a professional to fix.