An alarm does not necessarily mean a monitoring contract. For many homes, a few well-placed stand-alone devices are enough to be alerted, to deter and to stay in control, with no monthly fee. You still need to choose according to your home, not from a product list.
What a no-subscription solution does, and does not do
A paid monitoring service adds one specific thing: someone who receives the alert on your behalf and can check whether it is genuine. Without a subscription, you are the one who receives the alert, on your phone or on site. You gain in cost and freedom, you lose the intervention of a third party. The right choice therefore depends on your ability to react yourself.
In a flat: watch the door
According to Insee (the French national statistics institute), a door was forced or an attempt was made to force it for 64% of burgled households. In a flat, it is often the only real way in. A WiFi opening sensor on the front door alerts you on your smartphone as soon as it opens. To see what is happening inside while you are away, an indoor WiFi camera completes the setup.
In a house: think about the perimeter
A detached house has several entry points and an outdoor space to cross. An outdoor WiFi camera covers the driveway or entrance and alerts you when someone approaches. A motion detector alarm sounds a 105 dB siren in a garage or shed, with no WiFi. A solar floodlight with detector lights the driveway as someone passes.
In a rental: nothing to drill
The opening sensor, the portable door lock and the 120 dB door wedge alarm are installed without drilling and leave with you. Details in our 5 solutions for a rented home.
Do not forget the risks that do not come from outside
A smart smoke detector (in addition to the compulsory NF EN 14604 detector) and a water leak detector also warn you when you are not there.
The limits to be aware of
Without a subscription, an alert is only useful if you see it. A notification depends on the WiFi and on your phone; a local siren is only heard by people nearby. This equipment reduces the risk and buys you time, it guarantees nothing.
Going further
To choose which opening to equip first: door or window. The whole range is in the SentinHome catalogue.