Home Security Planning Tools
Move from a broad concern to a practical system plan. Assess priorities, choose an approach, plan device coverage and understand cost, storage and privacy before buying.
Free printable home security planning pack
Download the six-page audit, moving-home checklist, burglary-response sheet and monitoring-company comparison worksheet. No email address required.
Choose a tool or provider
Risk Assessment
Review doors, windows, detection, lighting, alerts, connected-device security and outbuildings.
Identify my priorities → BUILD 02Complete System Builder
Calculate equipment quantities, three budget tiers, monitoring guidance and a printable room-and-perimeter plan.
Build my complete system → START 03Security System Finder
Match the property, household, preferred installation and budget to an appropriate security approach.
Find my system type → DESIGN 04Placement Planner
Build a starting coverage plan for entrance cameras, opening sensors, motion detection and outbuildings.
Plan device coverage → DESIGN 05System Cost Calculator
Estimate equipment, installation and monitoring costs across different property and service choices.
Estimate likely costs → VALIDATE 06Camera Storage Calculator
Estimate recorder or cloud-storage needs by camera count, quality, recording mode and retention period.
Calculate storage → VALIDATE 07Privacy Checklist
Review account security, firmware, camera angles, access permissions, sharing and footage retention.
Check my privacy setup → FIND 08Company Directory
Find approved-installer searches and verified monitoring providers, with response levels explained across five countries.
Find installers and monitoring → COMPARE 09Monitoring Contract Comparator
Record three proposals side by side, including total costs, equipment ownership, backup, verification and response.
Compare monitoring contracts →RESPOND 10Post-Burglary Checklist
Follow a country-aware first-hour and first-day sequence for safety, evidence, reporting, insurers and urgent repairs.
Open emergency checklist →RECORD 11Home Inventory Builder
Create a local-only record of valuables and download it as CSV or print it without submitting the contents to this website.
Build my inventory →MAINTAIN 12Maintenance Planner
Track recurring checks for alarms, cameras, batteries, accounts, recordings, emergency contacts and servicing.
Open maintenance planner →VERIFY 13Installer Scam Checker
Screen an installer or sales approach for pressure tactics, unclear contracts, payment risks and unverifiable claims.
Check the warning signs →SECURE 14Connected Camera Audit
Review passwords, MFA, updates, access, networks, recordings, privacy zones and failure recovery.
Audit my camera setup →Home Security Product Finder
Filter 48 existing product previews by country, category, power, storage, subscription, compatibility, installation and price tier.
Filter products →Property and Situation Guides
Apartments and Flats
Communal entrances, fire doors, renters, balconies, parcels and shared-space camera privacy.
Open the flat-security guide →PROPERTY GUIDESecurity by House Type
Priorities for detached, semi-detached and terraced homes, including side access and shared boundaries.
Compare house types →OUTBUILDING GUIDESheds, Garages and Gardens
Gates, anchoring, tools, bikes, powered access, sensors and outdoor technology.
Secure the outside layers →SITUATION GUIDESecurity While on Holiday
A departure and return checklist covering keyholders, deliveries, monitoring and actionable alerts.
Prepare for travel →New practical security guides
PoE or Wi‑Fi cameras?
Plan power, cabling and outage behaviour.
Fix night vision
Avoid reflection, glare and lost detail.
Build a response chain
Compare self, professional and hybrid monitoring.
Review camera audio
Balance usefulness, privacy and country rules.
Perimeter and property security guides
Plan alarm outages
Test broadband, cellular, power and alert failure paths.
Choose gates and access control
Balance delay, usability and powered-gate safety.
Compare perimeter detection
Understand beams, radar, PIR and analytics.
Secure a detached home
Build layers from the boundary to occupied rooms.
Camera privacy and cybersecurity guides
Prevent account takeover
Protect, detect and recover camera access.
Use two-factor authentication
Choose methods and prepare recovery.
Separate security devices
Use guest, IoT or VLAN networks safely.
Map cloud-footage access
Understand users, providers and integrations.
Plan subscription cancellation
Preserve evidence and essential functions.
Privacy, households and camera ownership
Configure privacy zones
Avoid recording neighbours and unrelated spaces.
Protect family privacy
Know where indoor cameras should not go.
Cameras in rental properties
Separate security from occupant surveillance.
Sell or dispose safely
Remove accounts, data and digital keys.
Police footage requests
Choose the relevant country procedure.
Whole-home and seasonal reviews
Room-by-room risk assessment
Score routes, rooms, systems and response weaknesses in priority order.
Autumn security checklist
Review lighting, locks, cameras, batteries and routines before earlier darkness.
After a burglary or break-in
First-hour checklist
Put safety, reporting and evidence in the right order.
Preserve evidence
Protect physical and camera evidence.
Secure damaged openings
Coordinate police, insurer and emergency repairs.
Prevent repeat entry
Reconstruct the route and improve every layer.
Alarm standards and accreditation
Smart-alarm evidence checks
Separate product, installer, maintenance and monitoring claims.
Monitored-alarm standards
Verify centres, communications, response and scheme scope.
Vehicle, bicycle, luggage and item trackers
Family and personal-safety planning
Smart locks, alarms and sensors
Turn product choices into reliable day-to-day protection with five practical guides:
Estimate equipment, installation and subscription costs
Open the Home Security System Cost Estimator to build an illustrative first-year and three-year budget for the UK, US, Canada, Australia or Ireland.
Privacy for interactive tools
Our current calculators are designed to work without an exact address or account. Read what to enter—and what never to disclose.