Review: Brinks vs. ADT vs. DIY Home Security

There often seems to be an automatic assumption in favor of the "big guys" like Brinks or ADT. Their name, reputation and the years they've been in the industry create an aura that says "DIY is good, and maybe even great for your money... but let's be honest. Its not nearly as good as ADT or Brinks."

Well, is that true? Let's look a little closer and see.

ADT and Brinks are good at what they do, and they've built huge empires by creating an impressive brand, and by marketing in all major niches. But, at the end of the day, once you cut away the media hype, do they actually offer anything more than can be done, much cheaper by yourself? No.

ADT and Brinks install the same types of home security systems in your homes that you would have if you purchased it yourself. If you get a wireless system, its no doubt a GE system; and hardwired systems will run the gamut of options, all of which are available through a store like SafeMart. The systems are identical in quality and type, with the exception that sometimes wholesale DIY companies have the newer models before the "big guys." And the monitoring isn't any different either (unless you look at the price). ADT, Brinks, SafeMart and others all offer 24 hour, UL listed central station monitoring.

Ok, so now we know that ADT and Brinks don't offer anything extra by way of equipment or monitoring. Let's take a look at cost.

Here is information from a chart on SafeMart's website showing where to find affordable home security.

ADT Costs

Total Out Of Pocket Expenses: $1,572. That's broken down into two things. An initial cost of $349, and a monthly cost of $33.99 for a required contract length of 36 months. Not that cheap at the end of the day.

Brinks Costs

Total Out of Pocket Expenses: $1,200. That's also broken down into two things. An initial cost of $49, and a monthly cost of $31.99 for a required contract length of 36 months. But, that's only upfront. You're still tied into a contract for 36 months. You still pay, over and over and over, for the system.

SafeMart Costs

Total Out of Pocket Expenses: $533. That's assuming the exact same set-up as Brinks and ADT with a 3 year monitoring cost. However-and here's the huge difference-SafeMart doesn't require any monitoring package or contract at all. If you choose to purchase monitoring, you do so on a one, not a three-year basis.

Here's the breakdown: Upfront cost to purchase the system (at which point its yours that you own, not some company) is $209. The monthly monitoring cost is $9 per month. Yes, you did read that correctly. Monthly monitoring cost is only $9.

So, whats your savings when you do it yourself. Going with SafeMart in this case, will save you $1,039 from ADT and will save you $677 from Brinks. That's a huge deal.

Don't waste your money for the same system and contracts that are way too long. Go the route thousands of other smart homeowners have gone, and do it yourself for home security.

Do It Yourself Home Security Makes Financial Sense

I just read an interesting article.  I'm not including it because most of it is irrelevant to our purposes here, but there is one item that stood out when reading.  That point is this: rising gas prices translate into rising costs for fully comprehensive home security companies.  This may seem commonsense, but its worth noting.  The fact of the matter is that gas prices are incredibly high and companies have no choice but to pass that extra cost onto the customer, or find other ways to cut costs.  In fact, one of the ways mentioned by one home security company in the article is to decrease their hours.  This means your ability to receive technical support will be limited.  Either way, you're getting less value for your dollar.

I'm bringing this up because it illustrates, in a profound way, one of the great benefits of do it yourself home security: Saving money!  It has always been the case that purchasing and installing your own system was less expensive than using a fully comprehensive company.  Now, thats even more true.  

Still, many of you may think its worth paying extra money for this service, since you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself.  And while I understand your concern, it simply isn't true. Manufacturers are making their systems more easy for the end user and there is a wealth of information to assist you in this project.  Plus, with SafeMart, you will receive top tier technical support for free.

Its important to have a home security system to protect your home and loved ones.  But, that doesn't mean you need to shell out a ton of money to pay for it.  Here's an article on do it yourself home security for the doubters out there.

Do It Yourself Home Security

If you have researched home improvement, automotive repair, or even home building in the past few years, you will no doubt have seen a trend emerging. This trend has been spurred on by an increase in available information and more user-friendly technology. So what is this trend? Its the growth of a Do It Yourself movement. In almost all industries that used to require a specialist, more and more people are choosing this route. There are now books, magazines and websites all devoted to this crowd. All of which is very interesting, but why am I mentioning it?

The reason I am mentioning this is because a similar trend is available in the home security industry. You no longer need a specialist to install and program your home security system. GE, Ademco, and many others are now making their systems easier for the informed consumer who is interested in Do It Yourself Home Security. At this point, the question is not can you do it, but should you do it?

The answer is an overwhelming yes. The best and most obvious reason is that you save money. When you purchase a system from a reputable company with the intention of doing it yourself, you don't have to sign lengthy and expensive contracts. Many fully comprehensive companies will offer you a free system, and maybe a minimal installation fee. At first sight, there seems to be no reason to do it yourself. However, as they say, the devil is in the details. You will probably have to sign a three to five year monitoring contract. That's not so bad, you think. And it wouldn't be except the monthly charge for monitoring with these companies is usually three times as much as a monitoring program purchased separately. If you sit down and total up the costs, do it yourself home security is vastly less expensive.

And remember, you can do it yourself. If you can program a VCR, you can program a home security system. And, a reputable company will offer you free technical support when installing or programming your system. If you run into any problems or merely have a simple question, they will walk you, step by step, through the process.

So, what about monitoring. Well, you can get full monitoring for as little as $9 per month. In the event of an alarm, your system will notify your central station who can immediately notify emergency personnel.

When its all said and done, do it yourself home security will save you a lot of money, and your protection will be just as good, if not better, than what you could receive from a fully comprehensive company. That's why SafeMart has consistently offered top of the line home security systems at the lowest possible prices. Our goal is not to push a system on you that you don't want and force you into a long term contract. We want to help you, the informed homeowner, make the right choice. If you are looking for home security, the do it yourself model is truly the best possible option.