Step 1: Decide how many cameras you need
For a Mid Terrace house you usually would want to cover front and back of the property.
A semi detached property you should consider protecting front and back and also the side. Consider also the front of the garage, so at least 3 or 4 cameras.
For a detached, as a bare minimum you should cover all 4 sides, and think of any other crevices, blind spots, weak areas, that would benefit from a camera. It is not uncommon to have 8 cameras for this sort of house layout
Step 2: Decide on quality and function of your camera
Night vision cameras are a must, do not buy poorly equipped night vision cameras, most theft and vandalism is done under the cover of darkness, so you should invest in a highly equipped or top spec camera.
The TVL or resolution is another deciding factor, you should look for cameras that are at least 540 TVL. Cameras that are sold in Maplin or high St retailers are usually 420 TVL and provide substandard video quality, why overspend for inferior quality when there are a multitude of options online
Cameras can range from the cheap and nasty - approx £30-£40 with poor picture quality and poor build quality, you may have seen them dotted around many places, taking the shape of a small little dome. These are not good cameras as when it comes to playback if the evidence you need is poor, the cctv system has failed to do its job to enable you to identify them.
If your budget can stretch, I would recommend a 700 TVL Camera, they start at the £80 range, but have better clarity and image resolution.
Step 3: Decide on the Video Recorder
Check out my previous article about DVRs, to guide you about their function, a DVR and a Hard disk together (1 TB or 500 GB at least) will set you back about £200, and most are usually reliable, but check the capacity to add extra cameras on at a later date.
Step 4: DIY or professional??
With everything in life, when it comes to a trade, the labour is usually the most expensive part, labour rates can run in to the thousands for some property! I would suggest trying to install it yourself if your a competent and basic DIYer, the installation is not very hard but does require some drilling and maybe ladder climbing. But this step could save hundreds, spend more on your equipment than on labour, and fix it yourself.
So when it comes down to it you could have a great system for approx under £500 or even £300 depending on how far your budget will go.
Always check your property and plan in advance before purchasing, make sure you do your homework before purchasing a kit.
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