Many homeowners who consider buying a or often hesitate because they worry about what it might cost. Depending on which company they choose and the options they want to pay for, some monthly fees can climb to $50-$75, which can prove steep for many middle-class homeowners who are already paying a mortgage. However, a recent study that was conducted by Home Security North shows that a break-in could end up costing homeowners a great deal more than the total monthly fee of a monitoring system, putting them at great financial risk.
The report from , completed and published in July of 2013, reveal:
The cost of a single break will cost more on average than 4 years [sic] worth of home security protection. Burglaries cost about $2,000 on average, whereas home security coverage only costs $22-$40 for a base level package. That comes out to cost anywhere from $264 to $480 per year.”
These numbers suggest that even the most minor break-in or theft of personal property could result in homeowners paying thousands of dollars out of pocket, especially if they have high deductibles on their homeowner’s insurance. Not only that, but there is a slim chance that the items stolen will ever be recovered, resulting in the owners being unable to recoup their losses either way.
The report also asserts that “1 in 7 homes are burglarized each year.”
While this might not seem like great odds to most homeowners, they should remember that these odds increase greatly dependingon how vulnerable their homes appear from the outside. For example, homes that have high security gates, visible security equipment, and deadbolts on the door are much less likely to be targeted than a home that has an open gate, no security features, and unlocked doors and windows. In order to decrease the odds that their homes will be burglarized and to decrease financial risk, homeowners should either find room in their monthly budget for security monitoring, invest in a , or invest in security gates for their home. In addition, no homeowner should ever leave his or her home unlocked, even if they will only be gone a short time. It only takes a few moments for a break-in to happen and for property to be stolen, a circumstance that could have long-lasting ramifications.
Tim Eveler
Author & Public Relations – Tim has been working in sales for the home security system industry over twelve years. He’s held positions at large home security companies and in charge of working with the team to create our security system reviews.