This past year has been a big “do-it-yourself” year for many people. Home improvement projects that sat dormant on shelves for years were dusted off and put in motion. Wherever homebound folks could, they “did it themselves”—pulling up countless carpets, expanding innumerable gardens, and painting a plethora of guest rooms, and often without the help of professional installers.
It’s satisfying to do things yourself when you have the knowledge and capability to do so, but there are certainly projects that are best left to experts and installing a comprehensive security system for your home is one of them. So-called “DIY” security systems are attractive to people who want to “build their own” security solution, especially since those same systems are often marketed as cheap and easy-to-use. The truth is somewhat murkier, as most popular DIY systems contain limited protection capabilities and more installation restrictions than systems installed by professional providers. Perhaps even worse, “doing it yourself” when it comes to home security extends beyond installation: in the event of a break-in, your system alerts you, but often not a monitoring center dispatcher or emergency services. The “cheaper, easier, better” myths surrounding DIY systems are persistent, but it doesn’t take much to poke some pretty big holes in those same arguments.
MYTH 1: DIY systems are cheaper than professionally installed systems.
Seeing discounted prices on video doorbells, cameras, or DIY intrusion alarm devices can be enticing. After all, no one’s going to pay more money for comparable goods and services. However, DIY systems aren’t comparable to professional home security systems. For example, EPS Security’s home security products are made by Honeywell Home®, a company that has been dedicated to making world-class security devices for decades and are industry leaders in security technologies innovation. When EPS installs a Honeywell Home® system in your house, you know your home is protected by tried-and-true equipment that takes advantage of the latest protection methods the home security industry has to offer. When you buy a DIY device, you’re relying on devices made to be financially appealing by Big Tech companies whose chief interests are selling quantity, not necessarily quality…
The most pervasive issue with this particular myth is that DIY systems aren’t necessarily cheaper than professionally installed ones. The cost of home security systems has gone down dramatically as technology has improved. Think about it like this: while your first flatscreen TV may have cost you a pretty penny ten years ago, a newer and better model today would likely only cost a few hundred dollars. DIY systems can sometimes seem cheaper because you’re actually getting less bang for your buck. Does your DIY system come with alarm signal monitoring? Probably not. If your DIY system alarms in the night, it’s up to you to call the police. Or, just as bad, if you’re not home and there’s a break-in, the perpetrator will be long gone with your belongings before you arrive home to notice something amiss.
At EPS, we believe that providing home security means committing to an ongoing relationship with our customers. We want to provide a comprehensive security package that works when our customers need it to the most, and that requires more than just handing over devices or screwing in a keypad. In addition to 24/7 monitoring of your system, we know that even the very best security systems require occasional maintenance in the same way your car sometimes needs a tune-up. It’s for this reason that we also offer service agreements to assist with possible bumps down the road. With an EPS service agreement, if you need new a new panel battery or are experiencing an issue with a device, you can call us and we’ll send out one of our trained technicians from one of our several local offices. If your DIY door contact breaks, you’ll either need to send it in for repair or purchase a new one, leaving you without protection in the meantime. At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite so costly as your security system not working during a burglary because you had to “send it in” for repairs.
MYTH 2: DIY systems are easy to install.
Off the top of your head: are the smoke detectors in your house photoelectric or ionic? Would microwave, PIR, or ultrasonic motion detectors work best in your home? Would a hardwired or wireless system work best for your house? What level of encryption should your wireless devices communicate with to prevent the hacking of your smart home system? (Are you actually confident in your ability to define what a smart home system is?)
You shouldn’t be expected to know the ins-and-outs of home security any more than you should be expected to know how to build a car from scratch. That’s not to say you couldn’t try your hand at putting in a DIY system—many have—but the odds are that a professionally installed system is going to work better because a proper security provider will design it for your own unique needs. If you live in a ranch-style home, you’re not going to want the same system as someone who owns a three-story house and vice versa. At EPS Security, our team of security consultants, engineers, and technicians craft a system to protect you and yours in the way you need to be protected—and we do a great job with it, because we’ve made home security our business for more than six decades.
Unless you make parachutes, you probably wouldn’t jump out of a plane with a parachute you made yourself. When the chips are down, you don’t want to test your security system know-how and find out you were almost secure. It’s simply safer to leave parachute-making—er, security system installation—to the professionals.
MYTH 3: DIY systems offer the same level of protection as professional security systems.
A quick list of things that DIY systems do not have out-of-the-box:
- First-party alarm signal monitoring (the monitoring of your DIY system is likely contracted to a third party entity)
- The ability to quickly repair or replace malfunctioning equipment
- The ability to differentiate a unique security solution for your home over anyone else’s
- The trustworthiness (rightfully) associated with tried-and-true system manufacturers
Even aside from the shortcomings listed above, at the end of the day, you want a security system that protects you and doesn’t actually jeopardize your safety. Unfortunately, DIY systems have made headlines numerous times over the last several years due to egregious security vulnerabilities, including hackers hijacking WiFi cameras and a ridiculously easy way to hack in and evade specific DIY security devices. You need a system for your home that works for you, not against you.
For your own sake, if you’re considering installing a security system in your home, reach out to the experts at EPS Security first. Let us know what features you’re looking for—smart home connectivity, cameras, beefier smoke and carbon monoxide protection—and we can work with you to design a system that works how you want it to and especially when you need it to. Start the process with real people who really care about your experience and your satisfaction. Trust the EPS Advantage and let us show you the safer, stronger home security system you’re looking for.