This article was first published on NerdWallet.com.
A few weeks ago, someone attempted a break-in at my house in the middle of the night. For the first time, my family realized we needed a security system — immediately.
We discussed the most critical factors for our convenience and safety, and I compared those with my experience reviewing home security equipment from various providers.
We chose and installed a DIY system that was easy to set up and operate from a mobile app and had no long-term contract or ongoing fees.
My family locked our doors at night, but sometimes not while we were out for the day. We have had an alarm sticker on a front-facing window that’s likely been there longer than we have, with no alarm system to match.
However, our somewhat relaxed attitude toward security didn’t match our town’s property crime rates. To my surprise, my neighborhood ranked above the national average for property crime in 2022, earning a “C” grade from CrimeGrade.org.
Our attempted break-in experience was a sobering reminder that just because something hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it won’t, and that it’s much better to be safe than sorry.
I woke up on a regular Wednesday morning to find broken glass on my living room floor and a hole above through a street-facing front window pane. It looked like a rock or a branch might have smashed through the glass.
(Photo courtesy of Dalia Ramirez)
We contacted a glass repair company, who came that day to repair the pane and...
