Choosing a Burglar Alarm for Your Property

The Three Main Types of Burglar Alarm

Most UK homes end up choosing between three broad options: a bell-only alarm that simply makes a noise, a monitored alarm that signals a remote response centre, or a smart alarm you manage from your phone. None of them is automatically the best choice. What matters is what you are protecting, how often the house sits empty, and what your insurer expects to see on your policy.

Before you spend anything, walk around your property and note the obvious weak points. A rear kitchen door. A ground-floor window hidden behind a hedge. A garage with a connecting internal door. An alarm is only as good as the coverage you build around it, and a cheap system fitted thoughtfully will outperform an expensive one bolted on without a plan.

Bell-Only Alarms: Simple and Cost-Effective

A bell-only system is the traditional setup. It usually includes a control panel, a keypad, passive infrared (PIR) sensors in hallways and landings, magnetic door contacts, and an external bell box with a flashing strobe. When something triggers, the siren sounds and the strobe flashes, but no signal leaves the property.

That is both its strength and its weakness. There is no monthly fee and no reliance on your broadband, which makes it the cheapest reliable option for many families. But if nobody is close enough to hear it, nothing happens until you get home. The bell box is mostly a deterrent, and a good one.

• Check the siren cuts out automatically after about 20 minutes — longer than that and you may fall foul of local noise rules.
• Insist on battery backup so the system keeps working during a power cut.
• Ask how many zones the panel supports, so you can add sensors later.
• Make sure the external bell box is high, visible from the street and difficult to reach.

Monitored Alarms: Someone Watching, All the Time

A monitored system connects to an alarm receiving centre by landline, broadband or a mobile network. When a detector triggers, an operator sees it within seconds and can call you, call a nominated keyholder, or request police attendance. This is the option to consider if you travel often, work long hours, live rurally, or have contents worth protecting carefully.

Be aware of how police response actually works. Forces generally attend only a confirmed alarm — typically two separate detectors activating within a set period — and the system needs a unique reference number issued through your installer. Unconfirmed activations usually mean a phone call to a keyholder instead. Monthly monitoring costs are modest, but they are ongoing, so factor them into your budget alongside the annual maintenance visit.

Smart Alarms: Convenience With a Caveat

Smart, app-controlled alarms are cheap, tidy and genuinely useful. You get instant notifications, camera clips, and the ability to arm or disarm from anywhere. For a flat or a small terraced house, they can be an excellent starting point.

The caveat is dependence. If the broadband drops or the power fails, an alert may never leave the building. Look for systems with a SIM backup, a rechargeable battery, and a tamper alert that tells you when the hub itself is disturbed. Also check whether the system meets your insurer's definition of an approved alarm — many self-install kits do not, which means no discount.

Installation Standards and What to Check Before You Buy

In the UK, domestic systems are graded under the BS EN 50131 standard, and Grade 2 is the appropriate level for most homes. Any installer you use should be certified by a nationally recognised inspectorate, and should be willing to put the grade in writing.

• Is there a written specification listing every sensor and its location?
• What maintenance contract is offered, and what does it include?
• What is the installer's false alarm record, and do they charge for call-outs?
• Who owns the equipment, and will they take over an existing system?
• What is the warranty on parts and labour, and how long does it run?
• If you move house, can the system be transferred or upgraded?

A neatly installed system with hidden cabling, a properly sited panel and a discreet bell box is also a better deterrent than a rushed job with visible trunking.

Insurance Discounts and Everyday Habits That Help

Many home insurance policies offer a premium reduction for an approved alarm — often somewhere between 5% and 15% — but only if you tell your insurer about it. Ring them before you buy and ask what specification they require. Then read the conditions carefully. Policies commonly state that the alarm must be maintained annually, set whenever the house is empty, and reported to the insurer if it stops working. A discount built on a broken alarm is a discount that can be withdrawn at claim time.

Keep your installation certificate, service records and monitoring contract together. After that, the small habits do the rest of the work:

• Trim hedges and shrubs so doors and windows stay visible from the street.
• Use timer plugs on lamps, and set the alarm every time you go out, even for an hour.
• Lock side gates and garden sheds — they are popular climbing aids.
• Replace detector batteries on schedule, and test the system monthly.
• Avoid posting holiday plans publicly, and ask a neighbour to clear post.

Fit the system that suits your household, keep it serviced, and make sure your insurer knows about it. That combination does more for your security than any single gadget.