If you’re like most homeowners and worry about how to keep your vacant home safe while you are away this summer, an install-it-yourself wireless security system may be the perfect solution. Today’s do-it-yourself wireless security systems are as sophisticated and full-featured as many of the professionally installed systems you see advertised, but can be bought and operated at a fraction of the cost. So if you’re considering getting a security system to protect your home and property this summer, here are 9 reasons why you should consider a wireless system.
1. Easy to Install Yourself
A wireless home security system communicates via radio signals, making it very simple and a lot less costly to install than a hard-wired alarm system that requires running wires and drilling holes through walls, ceilings, woodwork and concrete. For older homes that are difficult to wire, a wireless system is the perfect solution. The average do-it-yourselfer can install a wireless security system like the Oplink Security AlarmShield in just minutes.
2. Affordable
A wireless security system “starter kitâ€Â with a control panel and three sensors costs about $130. More advanced systems, like the popular Wisdom Wireless Kits with additional sensors, zones and partitions, range in price from about $200 for the basic kit to $450 for a “bonus kit” with keypad. Compare these modest prices to the cost of a professionally installed hard-wired alarm system which typically costs $1,000 to $1,500 (depending on the equipment and layout of your home) plus monthly monitoring fees of $29.95 to $41.95.  The savings with a wireless security system is huge!
3. No Monthly Monitoring Fees
DIY wireless security systems are designed to contact you directly by phone when there’s an emergency, so you don’t need an outside monitoring company that charges hefty monthly fees. Many wireless security systems will dial multiple phone numbers, so if the first family member doesn’t pick up, another person will be called automatically.  The STI Burglar Stopper Wire-Free Home Protection System with the optional Auto Dialer/Distress Alarm, for instance, can be programmed to call up to 8 emergency phone numbers, including your own cellular phone.
4. Works Even During Power Outages
Because every sensor in a wireless security system is battery powered, sensors continue to operate even during power outages. A system’s control panel typically uses A/C power but usually comes with reliable, robust batteries for backup power.
5. Don’t Need a Landline
Many wireless home security systems now offer a cellular communications option, making them ideal for vacation homes without a landline phone. You can also add a cellular terminal as a backup so if your landline connection is cut, your wireless home security system can still send out alerts.
6. Tamper Resistant
A skilled burglar can disarm a traditional hard-wired home security system by cutting wires. Sabotaging a wireless security system is not that easy since each wireless component operates independently and would have to be disabled individually.
7. Automatic Troubleshooting
When a hard-wired system isn’t working properly, it can take a professional serviceman hours and hours to analyze the hundreds of feet of wiring and locate the problem, whereas wireless security systems like the Rokonet Wisdom Wireless series do their own troubleshooting. Most wireless sensors also provide “low battery†alerts.
8. Portable
If you move to a new house, your wireless security system can move with you, so you don’t have to invest in a new system.
9. Â Expandable
Most DIY wireless security systems are expandable so you start with a basic system, like the SecurityMan Air-AlarmIIE,  and upgrade it down the road by adding more wireless sensors, sirens, motion detectors or remote controllers.
Summary
Summer is a good time for do-it-yourself projects like installing a wireless security system in your home. There are many wireless home alarm systems on the market today with a variety of sensors options and accessories, including motion sensors, door/window sensors, smoke detectors, keychain remote controls and glass breaker sensors.  In addition to these 9 reasons why you should consider a wireless DIY security system, you may also like the “home automation centerâ€Â feature that some systems offer which allows you to remotely control household appliances and lights.
