Your home’s market value is determined by many factors, including size, layout, location, age, and more. Your home’s amenities – which includes things like a home security system – can have an impact on its market value, too. How much a home security system directly impacts the value of your home can vary greatly, and is influenced by (and influences) many of those other factors.

While a home security system may not directly affect the market value of your home, it certainly increases your home’s intrinsic value. It makes your house a safer place to live because it acts as a deterrent to home invasion. It protects your valuables from loss. Depending on your insurance company and the type of system you’ve got, it could even save you a few bucks on your home insurance each month.

Here are some of the particular factors about your home security system that might impact its value, the value of your home, and your overall safety and security:

• The proven effectiveness of the home security system. Some companies and some systems are just better than others. They have a proven track record at being able not only to deter break-ins, but have a proven track record at capturing burglars after the fact. To maximize value, pick a home security system with a solid reputation.
• How extensively the system covers the home. A home security system is only as strong as its weakest link. A single unmonitored window – even if it’s not on the ground floor – can be enough to significantly weaken the system. For maximum protection and value, you need a security system that truly covers the entire home. Every point of entry must be monitored.
• Whether the system is a monitored system. Systems that are plugged directly into your local emergency response system or a monitoring company tend to add more value than systems that are stand-alone. In fact, when it comes to insurance discounts, many companies won’t offer you one unless your home security system is actually monitored.
• Proliferation of other home security systems in the neighborhood. While this factor isn’t directly related to your choice of home security system, it is important. A neighborhood that has more home security systems will, over time, have a lower crime rate. That lower crime rate, in turn, leads to higher property values for the neighborhood.

There is another important way that a home security system can help increase the value of your home, as well. Whether or not it figures into the actual market value, a home security system is one of those amenities that can help to boost someone’s bid on your home during the sale process, or that can help them to make the final decision.

Increasing your home’s value isn’t the only (or even the primary) reason for installing a home security system, of course. Check out the various kinds of systems on the market today, and pick one that fits your budget and still gives you the peace of mind you’re hoping for.

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This blog post is a guest post by Madison Parker who writes at HomeSecuritySystems.net on subjects related to home security systems, survival and preparedness.