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We are building a new house for our retirement in Raleigh, NC with a national builder. They offer free security wiring in the house if we sign a contract a 36 month monitoring service at $25/month. That is for the basic system that requires a phone line.
We are probably not going to have landline service in this house. The monitoring services for GSM (no phone line needed) increase the monthly fee to $35/month, plus we have to pay for an upgrade to the system wiring of something like $100.
No one can possibly tell you if you should get a security system. Now if you are asking the question because you were going to get a security system anyway and wondering if this is a good deal or not that is a different question.
No one can possibly tell you if you should get a security system. Now if you are asking the question because you were going to get a security system anyway and wondering if this is a good deal or not that is a different question.
Fair enough. So, if we were considering getting a security system anyway. . .
Check out a few of the big comapanies. They always have specials going that usually have pretty cheap installation. I don't like the idea of a 36 month contract.
No, I built a home that had the same stipulations and regretted it. I should have waited until after closing and talked with other companies in the area.
Around here the cost is about $38/month so to me it sounds like a good deal. But call other companies to ask about the cost of a wireless system to install and monthly costs. I have a wireless system and it is easy to install.
You get a lower home owner's insurance rate if you have a security system, and a lower rate if you have it monitored. The monthly cost should off-set with your insurance savings.
All reputable builders will offer you the options of
1. Having a prewire of the house for a security sytem done without any obligation to sign any contract with any security company. After you close, you can pick any company YOU want to install and/or monitor your alarm. You pay for the prewire just like any other option based on cost.
2. Offer you the option of having the prewire done and a physical alarm installed but as a local system without any requirment to sign any contract for monitoring with a specific company. After you close, you can ;pick whicever alarm company to service and/or monitor your syetm.
Those are the two options any reputable builder will offer.
By choosing your own comopany, you have the ability to decide based on their service and fees if its what you want instead of being told what you will get, and pay an inflated cost per month for monitoring to cover the "FREE" whatever they gave you. Its a sucker fraud on the consumer and unfortunetely so many fall for it. You are locked into a long term contract with a possible auto renew provision. You are usually paying an inflated cost (average owner owned system for monitoring is only $14 a month). If you donl;t like their service, your stuck until the contract ends. Odds are they will not install the equipment until AFTER you close becaus they will retain ownership of the system until you complete a full 36 months. Depending on who the builder uses, they may be installing one of those systems that are practically worthless (typieal FREE wireless system they hawk at every home show and coupon mailers) because too many people know how to defeat the one weakness in them (but they are cheap to the company to buy). Overall it makes the builder good refereal fees, the installing company may just be a dealer of a national brand and you think your dealing with that national brand alarm company. The dealer is paid up front for the monitoring contract not the security system so their incentive is the signed contract not your secufity.
There are MUCH cheaper security monitoring companies out there... all you do is provide the system (which the builder should do) and then pay like $9 a month for the monitoring through WIRELESS signals (that way you still don't need a landline)... now there is also a cheaper method where you can setup so that the alarm calls you when it goes off and lets you decide whether to call the police are not, all for $0 a month (but you need a smartphone)...
3 years is a long time to be under contract to an alarm company. I would tell the builder "no thanks." When the house is done have a wireless alarm system installed.
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