MOVING BLOG

Installation and Removal of Home Security When Moving: DIY or Professional Services?
By The Good Greek

Home security is no laughing matter, which is exactly why you’ve taken the steps to protect yourself and your family. But right now you’re planning to move to a new home. Given the relative permanence of a home security system by design, you’re probably asking how you’ll be able to take everything with you. Luckily, this handy guide on the installation and removal of home security when moving is exactly what you need, specifically with regard to whether you should try to DIY or call a professional service.

The Value of Experience

It can’t be understated just how valuable experience is, especially when working with complicated electronics. In these situations, just ripping things out of the wall and hoping for the best is probably a recipe for disaster. Part of figuring out what to do involves assessing how large your security system is and how much effort it took to set things up. If it’s just a few remote cameras bolted to the side of the house, you can probably manage those on your own. If it’s much more than that, however, you may wish to consult someone with a bit more expertise.

Cost Factors

As with most things in life, the cost is a major factor in your home security move. Simple installation and removal can be a big pain in the wallet when you’re getting it done professionally. Installation fees for home security systems can run anywhere from $50-$200, so it’s a good idea to try and tally up your totals ahead of time by checking with professionals. Many will list prices on their websites or provide free estimates. Prices tend to rise according to the complexity of the system, so keep that in mind.

Effort

One aspect of home security is the effort involved in setting everything up. Even if you could conceivably take apart your system all on your own, having an extra set of hands around to speed up the process is always nice. For this, you’re essentially measuring the potential costs of removal versus the value of time. With respect to these and other factors, it might be a good idea to get some professional assistance if your system is particularly large or elaborate.

Wired or Wireless

The scope and complexity of your home security removal are affected greatly by whether you have a wired or wireless system. Wired and wireless security systems have several differences between them, one of the more obvious being how difficult they are to install and remove. Wired systems are worked into your home, making them much more difficult to take out compared to a wireless system. Assuming that you put your system together from the beginning, think of the amount of effort and the challenges you faced doing it the first time, then imagine all of that in reverse. If you don’t feel confident going about it that way, you may wish to get professionals to take over.

Risk of Damage

Whenever you’re working with complex electronics, there’s always a risk of damaging things. If you have a good foundation in technical skills, this risk may be minimal on your part, but it will still remain. By contrast, hiring a professional means putting that risk on someone else, which serves as a form of insurance in case something goes wrong. Depending on the service you use, they may reimburse you for any damages that happen during removal, giving you a safety net in the event a problem happens. Whether this balances out the cost of removal services will depend on the value of the items you’re moving.

Contracts and Warranties

If your security system was purchased through a provider, your contract might have information regarding moving. Whether it says you’ll be charged for moving locations or moving services are at least partly covered depends on who you contract through, this does present a chance that professional moving may not cost you anything extra. Similarly, an active warranty might stipulate these conditions as well.

Keeping your home safe takes a lot of work, and so does moving. Make sure you’re ready for the challenges of both by figuring out whether you’ll be moving your home security system yourself or with the help of professionals.