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How many of you leave for the weekend and don't have a house alarm?

3K views 30 replies 21 participants last post by  justletmein 
#1 ·
4 years living in our house and for the first time someone attempted a break-in when we were not home (one other time when we were home). We were gone all last weekend duck hunting and fishing and came home to find a cracked door frame, someone had given the front door some good kicking and got skeered away or just couldn't get the job done. Of course the dog was with us since we were duck hunting. So on my shopping list is an alarm and a gun safe but that whole 3 or 4 year contract thing for the alarm makes me sick. I used to have a Brink's sign I found in a dumpster, but the kids made short work of that by using it as a baseball bat. LOL :rolleyes:

Just wondering if yall do anything else to keep the house safe while you're gone without having an alarm.
 
#2 ·
Unfortunately an alarm and good neighbors is the first line of defense. I make it a point to investigate and suspicious cars/people or noises when I hear something outside. Even if it's at the neighbors across the street.

I think an alarm is a good deterrent for starters. Not a fail safe but nothing really is. If they want to get in then they will. A gun safe is going to be a worthwhile investment. Some stuff is just too hard to put a value on and even harder to replace.

I've had an alarm at my house since I built it 10yrs ago. I have one for my place of business too. I didn't realize they make you sign a 4-yr contract though.
 
#7 ·
Thanks yall. I guess I'll be getting an alarm but I'm going to look into something I can install myself and have it call me on my cell phone or something rather than do a contract with monitoring. Gotta save up for the gun safe and I think I got a guard dog approved when summer time comes to go along with our new lab pup so we'll have a good dog to stay at home when we go hunting with the lab(s).

Unfortunately an alarm and good neighbors is the first line of defense. I make it a point to investigate and suspicious cars/people or noises when I hear something outside. Even if it's at the neighbors across the street.

I think an alarm is a good deterrent for starters. Not a fail safe but nothing really is. If they want to get in then they will. A gun safe is going to be a worthwhile investment. Some stuff is just too hard to put a value on and even harder to replace.

I've had an alarm at my house since I built it 10yrs ago. I have one for my place of business too. I didn't realize they make you sign a 4-yr contract though.
We have new neighbors for the last 2 months and they will not look you in the eye, I mean not even for a wave or to say hello and when you're pulling out of the driveway and glance over they've got their head turned the other way, definitely intentional. These guys watched us pack up the truck and boat on Friday and watched us drive away. Yes my heart was sinking the entire time. I had a vibe all week, chained up the dirt bikes and kayaks in the back, fixed my back gate and put a lock on it (been that way for 3 years) and took all the spare car and motorcycle keys with us on the trip.

Soooooo glad I dont live there anymore!! I love the Hill Country!

Where I live now, we rarely EVER lock our house, I rarely EVER lock my truck and we have left for a weekend and not locked the house at all.

No, you cant have my address!!
In the past I've left my garage wide open with the light on, probably 15-20 times in the last 4 years, wife leaves her windows down on her car all the time and we've even left the front door open, no I don't mean unlocked I mean open for an entire day when we went water skiing. lol...
 
#3 ·
We have a home alarm and I think that is the only way my wife would stay there when I am hunting or fishing. It is very reassuring to know some one is watching the house for us.

The new thing now is to get your alarm wireless so the burglers can not cut the phone line to your house. Cause if that happens your alarm company would not be alerted.


We felt the same way about the three year contract, but I don't think we will ever have a house without one.

ES
 
#5 ·
Soooooo glad I dont live there anymore!! I love the Hill Country!

Where I live now, we rarely EVER lock our house, I rarely EVER lock my truck and we have left for a weekend and not locked the house at all.

No, you cant have my address!!
 
#14 ·
I know this might be a byass opinion because I have been in the alarm industry for 28yrs. An alarm system will not stop anyone who is wanting to get into your home, what it will do is sound the alarm and hopefully get your neighbors attention or someone passing by. what you need to make sure is that the siren is put outside the home or in a eve vent so that it is loud enough outside. There are to many companies that install the siren inside mounted to the wall and noone outside can hear it at all. The fact about monitoring is atleast you know that when the alrm goes off someone will respond by calling the police, the only bad thing is you can not make the police show up in a timely manner. So if you want to really call it what it is it is a deterant device that hopefully will scare them away. Good luck on your quest to figure it out and if you need anything answered pm me and I will help you get pointed in the right direction.
 
#17 ·
You owe it to yourself to get an alarm system and monitored one, and I suggest Intruder Alert Sytem. A lot of other companies are monitored by people from another country and suck at it. Not IAS. Whats good about an alarm is it will have smoke and heat detectors as well which will alert fire and recue to be sent out. Theres also panic buttons on the key pad to send out fire, or ambulance or police. Its a great piece of mind when you sleep as well, not to mention for your family if only you are gone hunting.
 
#20 ·
A couple of thoughts...

Who cares how long the contract is? 1 year or 50, are you ever going to not need an alarm?

My alarm company bills me quarterly and the cost is very minimal.

Your home owners insurance will give you discounts for having an alarm.

I am currently building a new house and since I am gone a lot I put in enough flood lights to look like a base ball stadium. I had them all wired into a panic switch in the master bedroom for my wife. One flip of the switch and nothing can hide any where near my house.

Your stuff can be replaced, that is what insurance is for. If your wife and kids stay home by them selves do it for them.

Unfortunately there are a bunch of S#*T bags that live in this world and I think you need to do every thing in your power to protect your family and property.
 
#21 ·
The worst feeling in the world

I had this happen to me this year... at the deer lease we have bad cell coverage and I get a crackely voicemail and all I could get out of it was "alarm-police dispatched-call 21--42--13". Man, I was freaking out.

I had to drive 25 minutes to get a good signal and call information for my monitoring service all while freaking out thinking all my stuff was gone.

Come to find out my wife gave her friend a key to stop and check on things while we were gone for the week. She forgot to give her the code. Talk about relief for me, but the girl had to deal with the police and an alarm going off.
 
#22 ·
I have an alarm with the remote key fob. I can't imagine not having one up here in the DFW area. The insurance savings pretty much offset the monthly cost.
I feel pretty good, though. I've got a cop living on either side of me (one with a fire fighter) and a retired couple living across the street that have video monitoring of their property that also show the front of my home. Also I live at the end of a cul-de-sac that's hard to find.
Does all this make me feel any safer?
The answer is, not enough not have an alarm.
 
#26 ·
I live in a relatively low crime neighborhood, partly in fact due to our county being super tough on crime and being in a nice part of town. My house has an alarm.

Unfortunately, my idiot neighbor has an alarm that he/she forgets to turn off one or two mornings a week as they leave to walk the dog. Then the siren goes off for at least 30 seconds or a minute while they remove their ears from their anal orifice.

I honestly think that their's going off all the time (because of their inbred stupidity) would cause the rest of the neighbors to ignore mine were it to go off.
 
#30 ·
My soon to be ex wife had a break in right b4 christmas. The crooks didn't even attempt to get in the safe. I put everything that will fit in there when im gone. Jewelery, cameras, video camera, laptop computer, guns, binos, etc.

Buy the biggest safe you can afford.
 
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