installation of alarm/phone

[LICY]

We will have a pre-installation of an alarm in our build, but will then need to consider having the actual alarm. Has anyone got any thoughts/recommendations and would anyone take any notice of a ringing alarm in reality?

Also what is the general guidance if you let the property on whether people expect a telephone to be intalled. (We will have internet installed)?

[Jaylay]

Get a dog

[LICY]

Get a dog

Does that work for the phone and the alarm? lol! Not sure the dog would appreciate being left alone with a mummy and daddy 24/7.

[logicbob]

Licy, if you have, phone, alarm, and Internet you will need two telephone lines into your new house. Phone and alarm on one and the Internet on the other.

[widge]

Hi Licy,

An alarm is a good idea providing you buy a service contract with it so that if it goes off the alarm company respond either by ringing the villa to make sure it's a false alarm or sending a guard if it isn't. Charon offer such a service for about €500 per annum and the alarm may cost up to a €1000 depending on the spec. Clients these days all have mobiles so a phone is unnecessary but wifi internet is desirable and you can charge guests for it. Hope that helps, sounds like you are nearing completion, I'll take a look when I'm out next week.

[EMM]

If you have cable you do not need two telephone lines.Cable should come as part of your conections.
We have cable for TV, phone, and internet,
There is one important thing you should check.
Where are your PT/cable connections. Your builder will/should have all the connections preinstalled from your house to a box in your roadside wall.
However you still have to get PT or your cable company to connect to your property.
If there are existing underground connections this may not be a problem but could involve a cost .

We found when PT arrived that they wanted to put a pole in our garden as there were no existing underground connections.
As the pavements had not been constructed we paid for the connection to be put underground from the nearest pole . to our connection box.
Even if you have undeveloped land next to you they will no longer cross that land to get to you.

It is worth checking this out as your builder does not have to provide the connections.
He must also provide you with a certificate otherwise PT or your cable company will not connect you to the system.

[EMM]

PS , You do not need to provide a phone, do you want them ringing " auntie in australia ".
If you have a modem for wifi, remember to charge extra for it.
We had a " friend " staying who ran up a bill of 30 plus euros in addition to our monthly standing charge as he lived on his laptop for two weeks.

[LICY]

Licy, if you have, phone, alarm, and Internet you will need two telephone lines into your new house. Phone and alarm on one and the Internet on the other.

I had no idea. At home I only have one number,ie one phone line which serves phon and Internet. Either I'm missing something or Portugal is different. I understand the alarm and Internet in the villa have this cordless type new expensive installation thAt you must now have by law.

[LICY]

Thanks for those points.

[logicbob]

Licy, if you have, phone, alarm, and Internet you will need two telephone lines into your new house. Phone and alarm on one and the Internet on the other.

I had no idea. At home I only have one number,ie one phone line which serves phon and Internet. Either I'm missing something or Portugal is different. I understand the alarm and Internet in the villa have this cordless type new expensive installation thAt you must now have by law.

Let me know if you only need one line now, 6 years ago we had to have to lines put in.

[Polli62]

Can I ask a question, is the alarm system connected to the phoneline so it rings the security company if there is a break in. If so why do you need 2 phonelines? or is it different system in Portugal to UK.
I have an alarm system connected to phone line in UK which rings 3 designated numbers if the alarm goes off but I only have one main phone line connection for phone, alarm & internet.

[ron5000]

There is a system which has been available for a couple of years now. Requires an Internet connection and a gizmo shaped like a star which you hold next to the control unit in the house to engage, very simple. There is a web cam attached pointing to front door or other point of likely entry and when broached takes photos every 10seconds and loads on to a designated site on t'internet. I had a mail shot last week and think it was on offer for around 500 Euros. All wireless too which makes things a bit easier to install

[LICY]

There is a system which has been available for a couple of years now. Requires an Internet connection and a gizmo shaped like a star which you hold next to the control unit in the house to engage, very simple. There is a web cam attached pointing to front door or other point of likely entry and when broached takes photos every 10seconds and loads on to a designated site on t'internet. I had a mail shot last week and think it was on offer for around 500 Euros. All wireless too which makes things a bit easier to install

Is this in addition to an alarm?

[EMM]

The best alrm is one that makes lots of noise and if you can afford it gets an immediate response from your alarm company.
But none of these are any good unless you make your property as difficult to get into as you can,
For just a few euros window/door you can get fittings which will lock them in place in addition to their normal fittings.
Nothing will stop the idiots with a crow bar and that is when a good quaility alarm and response company will have some value.
We had a call and flyer from SECURITAS offering all sorts of additional gizmos, such as the previous poster describes.

[LICY]

We have security glass installed but no shutters factored in at this stage. Has any one got experience of what security has saved their property? How far does one go?