We're Alarmed!

Do you remember the episode of "Keeping Up Appearances" where Richard arranges to have a security system installed in the house for an anniversary gift to Hyacinth?  I thought it was a hoot.  :)  Anyway, Hyacinth had to brag to her neighbor, Elizabeth, and she said, "Elizabeth, I want you to be the first to know, I'm going to be alarmed.  Richard's going to alarm me for our anniversary."  Understandably, Elizabeth was a bit confused.  Silly, silly Hyacinth.

Well, I'm pretty sure we're not as pretentious as Hyacinth, but we've been alarmed here, too.  ;)  Before I go any further, this is not in any way a sponsored post.  Installing this system was something we did during my blog break, and I just wanted to share some of the details with you. 

I think no matter how big or small,

 

 for most of us,

 our home is our castle.  

 It's our retreat from the elements and we want it to feel safe.  Our parents have had alarm systems in their homes for several years now, but we've never had one.  Honestly, we never felt the need for one.  But the last few years or so, I've been giving it some thought.  We do hear of more and more burglaries and worse, home invasions when the owners are actually at home.  From what I've seen, no neighborhood is really immune from this.

I called our insurance agent several weeks ago to inquire about adding some items to our homeowners' policy, and I mentioned home security systems.  He told me about SimpliSafe® as an affordable option, but also one that he's heard good things about.  One of the things that makes SimpliSafe® more affordable than many systems is that you install it yourself.  It's wireless and operates with a cell phone system; that's what makes it easy to install.  Since Mr. Forest Manor is very handy with things like this, I mentioned it to him.  We researched it online and were impressed with what we read.

We ordered our kit online, and it took us about an hour to install it.  Our kit looked basically like the picture below,

source

but ours included a few more pieces.  This picture came from the Amazon.com website.  You can also order the kits from Amazon, but we ordered ours from SimpliSafe®.  In addition to saving on installation fees by installing it ourselves, we feel like our monthly fee is very competitive.  Once the components were installed, we tested them and certified them online, and SimpliSafe® set up our account for Emergency Dispatch and monitoring.  My husband can check our account online for activity, which we've found to be very handy.  

The basic pieces we started with are this keypad, which we installed next to the door we normally use everyday.

We installed three of these entry sensors at different doors throughout the house.

We installed the motion sensor in our den.

We put the 105 decibel siren,

and the smoke detector (which alerts the local fire department) in our main hallway.  We also received a keychain remote, a sign for outdoors, and two stickers for our windows with this kit, which was a mid-range kit.  You can order extra components to customize your system for your home and personal needs.  After we installed the initial components, we ordered a second keychain remote and a few more pieces to add to our system.

Believe me, I know that nothing is infallible or can completely guarantee our safety.  But I have to say, I do feel better knowing that we've taken some steps to try and insure our home is protected.  It seems that burglars prefer to steal electronics and jewelry,

but I also think of the more important things, like people and pets, that can't be replaced.

 

My sister recently got a home security system; her home was burglarized several years ago, and it was an unnerving experience.  Her friend's daughter and son-in-law's home was robbed while they were on vacation.  They live in an expensive neighborhood with plenty of houses around, but they still got burglarized.  The police officer who answered their call told them they should do two things -- get a home security system and get a dog (the original home security system).  :)  He said that a large dog outside the house is actually more of a deterrent than a security system.

For the record, I've never been afraid to stay here by myself.  My husband traveled a lot with his job when we first moved into this house, and he and Will were gone for two weeks when they went to Philmont Scout reservation many years ago.  Of course, I had Mr. MacDuff here with me then, too.  But times change, and I think having some extra protection gives us more peace of mind.

Do you have a security system in your home?  Have you had it a long time?  I hope you've all had a good weekend and thanks so much for visiting me!  I have really missed blogging, and once you are away for a little bit, it's hard to get back in the swing of things.  I'm looking forward to fall, how about you?

Best wishes,

Denise