Best Atlanta Home Alarm Companies

[kaabye]

The cheapest no contract family protection system you can buy is..................a BIG DOG

[arjay57]

We've used Andrews, a great local security company. It's great to work with people you know individually.

Welcome to Andrews Security, Inc.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Fritz99

What difference does it make who has the best monitoring service? I thought the point was to alert the authorities if the alarm went off....but, If the police still take 45 min to 1 hour to get there (like I have experienced in Dekalb County) does it really matter how effective the alarm company was at dispatching them? So unless that alarm company has some private arrangement with the police that they are going to respond to their calls quicker than the other alarm companies, I don't really understand why it matters as long as their equipment is working properly and the cost is reasonable for the service.

I can have a neighbor check things out from a distance a lot faster than the cops will get there. Quick monitoring means I might have a friendly eye in the area within a few minutes, or even less in many cases.

[ladycage]

For the OP, I am in NYC and considering moving to GA, how do you like it so far? How long have you been there? What area in GA do you live in and what area of NYC did you live in?

Thanks for you help and good luck on finding a good alarm system.

[SAAN]

Any suggestions on what companies are currently a good Home Security company to go with?

[Mal93]

I love these guys:
Simplisafe Home Security Systems | Wireless Home Security | Burglar Alarms
No hardwired installation needed, based on cell phone network so you don't need a home phone line, no contract, has text alert options.
fire & carbon monoxide monitoring to be added soon. Plus its completely portable so its great if you're planning to move or live in an apartment.

[livinginbuffalo]

We use Ackerman and they are great. Our sales rep is a friend of my husbands. We also bought some type of device where if our phone lines are cut, the alarm still goes off and we are contacted. Let me know if you if you want the guys name. Nice guy

[SAAN]

Originally Posted by Mal93

I love these guys:
Simplisafe Home Security Systems | Wireless Home Security | Burglar Alarms
No hardwired installation needed, based on cell phone network so you don't need a home phone line, no contract, has text alert options.
fire & carbon monoxide monitoring to be added soon. Plus its completely portable so its great if you're planning to move or live in an apartment.

Thanks they look like a good choice

[SAAN]

Originally Posted by Mal93

I love these guys:
Simplisafe Home Security Systems | Wireless Home Security | Burglar Alarms
No hardwired installation needed, based on cell phone network so you don't need a home phone line, no contract, has text alert options.
fire & carbon monoxide monitoring to be added soon. Plus its completely portable so its great if you're planning to move or live in an apartment.

Ive been using them for a couple of months now and its pretty straight forward and easy to deal with for half the price of the big alarm companies.

[ATLTJL]

I recently installed an alarm system and priced everything out meticulously.

The problem with these out of the box systems is they rely on motion detectors. If you actually want to buy enough sensors to go on every door and ground window you have in your house, it really costs no less than having a professionally installed system. Motion detectors work fine for some people, but I don't like them for the following reasons:

1) I have a big dog. So for me, motion detector is a no go.
2) You can only arm a motion dector when you are not home or asleep. If you are up and about, you can not use a motion detector, so unless your windows have sensors on them, they are vulnerable when the motion detector is not armed.

Instead of going with a motion detector, I opted to have sensors placed on all my windows and I was allowed to substitute a motion detector with a glass break unit, that detects if your windows are broken. I had all of this done professionally for around the same price as it would have cost to buy all the accessories from one of the do-it-yourself system because I required 9 sensors (3 doors and 6 windows). I also got the benefit of a profesionally installed sytem, meaning everything is hidden and I don't have to use a wall outlet for the sytem (it's prewired in the attic) and I got a siren for inside the house as well as a bullhorn in the attic that sounds a loud alarm that is audible outside, plus two keychain remotes.

The only downside is that I can't take the system with me, but I can take the cell phone unit. I don't think it matters, because when it's time to move, are you really going to run around peeling off all the sensors? Besides, I think it makes your home more marketable if you have a professionally installed alarm system that comes with the house.

I received bids from Atlanta Alarm Monitoring, Bulldog Security, and NorthStar Security. The prices were all within $100 of each other, but I went with NorthStar because the technician, who is also the owner, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and for the same price as what the other guys wanted for "out of the box" systems that they just installed, NorthStar builds everything custom depending on exactly what you need. Like the other companies, NorthStar just installs the system and you can get whoever you want to monitor it. If you use the company they are affiliated with, it is a bit cheaper than the others. They also offer an option where if you want, you can sign a monitoring contract and they knock a bunch of money off your install, but you don't have to do this. I did it because it didn't add anything to the monthly charges, it's just a 3 year contract, and I figure I'm not moving in 3 years anyway. So I ended up paying almost nothing for the system and no more than anybody else for my monitoring, I'm just locked in for 3 years. The only way I'll get burned is if I have to move away from this house before the contract is up and decide not to get a sytem in my new place because the monitoring contract is transferrable to any new address I move to.

Sorry for the ramble, I've just recently been through all this and I did a ton of research and looked at all the options and for me, a professional install made the most sense financially and for peace of mind. The home do it yourself models might be better if you don't mind using an power outlet, can use motion detectors, and feel like you might someday want to cancel your monitoring. Just know that if your system is not monitored, you will not receive a discount on your homeowners insurance. I'd also check with them to see if they will discount your premium if you system is not installed by a pro.

I'm one of those people who really appreciates it when I deal with people who have integrity and go above and beyond. None of the companies I talked to were bad or anything, but NorthStar was just so professional and did things that the others wouldn't do, like crawling around in my attic to find wires and working hard to make sure I got everything that I needed and nothing I didn't. I talked to the owner while he was installing my system and he took a big risk walking away from big contract install jobs and starting his own company. He still has that drive to make his company the best it can be and make sure every customer is happy. You should at least give them a call if you are interested in a system, I bet they can help you out.