Start with what is already in the home, who can access it, and what you need the system to do. Then compare the exact equipment, installation and service terms before buying.
A first-home security plan should answer practical questions: can you take over the existing devices, will the sensors fit your doors, and who will respond when an alert arrives? A starter-kit label cannot answer those questions for your property.
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SimpliSafe — choose installation and monitoring separately
SimpliSafe offers self-setup and paid professional installation. Professional monitoring is a separate choice available with either route. Before ordering, match the exact sensors and mounting instructions to your doors and windows. If you add cameras, check the recording plan too: Standard Monitoring does not include camera recordings.
Sources: installation choices · monitoring and recording plans.
View SimpliSafe →ADT Pro Install — compare the written proposal
ADT Pro Install offers a technician-installed route. Ask the proposal to name the exact control system, sensors and cameras, show installation charges, and separate equipment payments from monitoring. Confirm the required term, cancellation charges and what happens to devices and app access if service ends. Do not budget an insurance discount until your insurer confirms it.
Source: ADT Pro Install process and offer terms. Your written quote governs the offer you accept.
Request ADT quote call →Ring Alarm — separate alarm service from camera features
A Ring doorbell or camera is not the same purchase as a Ring Alarm system. If you want alarm professional monitoring, confirm an eligible Ring Alarm or Alarm Pro and a compatible plan for your location; a camera recording plan alone does not establish that service. For each camera, check power, mounting, Wi-Fi and recording requirements for its exact model. An existing Echo device is not a reason by itself to choose the system.
For a new setup, compare Cove’s touchscreen controls with Ring Alarm’s keypad and kit before choosing the sensors and camera service for your home.
Source: Ring plan features and eligibility.
Browse Ring on Amazon →Use these checks to decide what to reuse, what to buy and what to ask a provider. Record the answer for your home instead of treating every item as a required purchase. Sources and service details checked September 21, 2026; this is a research-based buying checklist, not a hands-on installation test.
A door key, an app login and a monitoring account are different things. Use this two-page worksheet to record what stays with the home, who controls each device and what to ask the provider before buying replacements.
Download the digital-keys worksheet (PDF, 2 pages)
No email signup. Print it or use a compatible PDF reader to fill it in. Keep passwords, access codes and account numbers out of the worksheet.
List the control panel or base, sensors, cameras and locks left in the home, including model names. Confirm what was included in the sale and use the provider's ownership-transfer process. Record who has app access, codes or keys and how you will update that access.
Check the existing alarms and follow their manufacturer's testing and replacement instructions. USFA recommends smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on every level. Check local smoke and carbon monoxide requirements with the relevant local authority; buying a security subscription does not establish that your home meets them. USFA smoke-alarm guidance.
List the openings you want to monitor, then check whether both sensor parts can mount and align when each door or window closes. Use the exact model's instructions for spacing, surface preparation and mounting. SimpliSafe's Entry Sensor guide, for example, provides separate fitting and mounting steps; do not assume its instructions apply to another brand. SimpliSafe Entry Sensor instructions.
If you plan to self-monitor, name the person who checks alerts and a backup when that person is unavailable. If you want professional monitoring, confirm the eligible devices, covered events, location requirements and response process in the selected plan. Installation service and ongoing monitoring are separate decisions.
For each camera or doorbell, write down whether you need to look in now, replay a recorded event later, or record continuously. Check the exact model, storage, subscription and settings needed for each function, including what remains after a trial ends. Ask separately about power and internet interruptions; alarm backup does not establish camera recording availability.
Ask each provider for the same device count and required functions. Record equipment, installation, activation, monitoring and camera-recording charges, plus any required commitment and cancellation terms. Compare 12- and 36-month totals using the quoted rates; count financed equipment once, not both its full price and repayments. Keep any unconfirmed insurance discount out of the total.
Should I buy security equipment immediately when I move in?
Start by checking existing equipment, account access and smoke-alarm condition. Address identified problems promptly using the relevant provider or manufacturer instructions. Before buying a new kit, confirm what you can reuse, which devices fit the home and which functions you need. There is no fixed waiting period that makes cameras or sensors the right purchase for every home.
Should I use the previous owner's security system?
Possibly. First identify the exact system and confirm the equipment was included in the sale. Ask the provider which devices can be transferred or reactivated under your own account, and whether the previous owner must release them first. Follow the provider's handover instructions to update codes and remove prior users' access. Confirm the devices work and whether monitoring and recording are active. Compare quoted activation, repair and ongoing costs with a replacement quote before deciding.
Use your brand's process. Ring separates device ownership from subscriptions: canceling a subscription does not release a device. SimpliSafe's instructions have new residents use their own account, and departing owners remove cameras and smart locks from their account so the next owner can set them up.
Provider instructions checked September 21, 2026: Ring device transfer · SimpliSafe new-resident setup · SimpliSafe seller handover.
Does home insurance require a security system?
Check your policy and ask your insurer or agent whether any security requirement applies to your home. Ask whether the exact equipment and monitoring plan qualify for a discount, which documentation is needed and how much the premium would change. NAIC recommends asking about eligible discounts; it does not establish a universal percentage or preferred alarm brand. Compare the confirmed savings with the system and service costs.
Source: NAIC homeowners insurance guidance (January 2020 guidance, checked September 21, 2026).
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