Home Alarm Maintenance in Chalkwell – Choose An Accredited Company!

Jan and Geoff had lived in a lovely bungalow in a sought after part of Chalkwell, Essex since the 1960s.

Their nieces and nephews loved visiting them. The house was light and airy with lots of windows. And the mature garden was shaded by the many apple trees that had survived numerous storms and even the hurricane of 1987.

The large houses here and in the neighbouring area of Westcliff had been in the same families for decades.

However, in the first decade of the 21st century, ‘buy to let’ became a very popular investment. As the owners of these magnificent properties passed away, their homes were put up for sale. The sprawling old houses were snapped up by landlords looking to create HMOs to maximise their investments. The big rooms with high ceilings were divided up into smaller flats. Or knocked down completely to make way for apartment complexes that could accommodate the most people and ensure maximum profit.

Changing neighbourhood brings home security threats

Suddenly, an area that had previously been extremely quiet was full of young people with fast cars, loud voices and late night activity.

As an elderly man who didn’t understand these things, Geoff was worried. He had read that thieves were happy to break into the homes of elderly people when they were upstairs in bed. These burglars knew that the occupants were weaker and there would be less likelihood of a difficult confrontation. As he and Jan got older, he became increasingly more concerned about their home security. Particularly as the local Police stations in Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliff were closed and more bobbies were put on the beat in Southend High Street.

The tipping point came when the house next door was burgled. Geoff bit the bullet and paid for a home burglar alarm system to be installed. He knew that the external bellbox was a visible deterrent that would help to keep them both safe.

DIY vs Professional security installer

There were plenty of neigbouring homes that were not protected by a security system. And those that did, often tried to cut costs by getting a handyman to install a DIY alarm. Retail quality alarms are low grade and easy to bypass, so any burglars would find much easier pickings without any effort.

But Geoff also wanted to be sure that they Police would come if his klaxon was sounding or he hit his panic button! He discovered that it was also crucial to keep the system regularly maintained by an accredited company and to pay for a monitoring solution that would include Police attendance. Once it was all in place, he could relax. He was confident that, whether he and Jan were in or out, someone was watching over their home 24/7. And these professionals would send the Police if there was a break in.

Tragedy strikes

Sadly, Geoff died three years after the intruder alarm was fitted. He and Jan were out with their rambling group and he just dropped dead from a heart attack. There was no warning. One minute he was there, the next he was gone.

Jan was devastated but, over the months, she started to pick up her life again – as a widow. She joined lots of local clubs for senior citizens in Southend. So she was beginning to enjoy a busy and fulfilling retirement. Her home was often empty. But she was confident everything was safe because she had the alarm system and the Police monitoring package. Geoff had made sure that she and their home would stay safe and secure.

Missing your home alarm maintenance causes mayhem

The trouble started when the alarm company came to carry out the annual maintenance. It was not her usual supplier. They had been taken over by a larger company. It was not her usual engineer either. He looked up at the bellbox on the apex of the roof of her bungalow. And then he told her that checking this would require a ladder. And building regulations now stated that this procedure was a 2-man job. So they were going to have to increase her monthly service charge!

Being a pensioner, Jan was concerned about this additional drain on her pennies. She also wasn’t sure if she was being taken advantage of. She sent the ‘cheeky engineer’ away with a flea in his ear and cancelled her home alarm maintenance contract with the company.

Several months later, the external bell and internal klaxon both went off in the middle of the night.

In a panic, she telephoned the alarm installers. But they wanted a big call out charge since she was no longer a regular maintenance contract customer!

They told her that the battery had probably failed. It would not have happened if she had continued with her service agreement.

Jan was furious! In her rage, she pulled off the front of the control panel and detached some of the cables. She didn’t think about the risk of getting an electric shock. She just wanted the noise to stop!

And it did. But her alarm was no longer functional. Her home was no longer protected. And, without the maintenance contract, the Police would no longer respond.

She called her nephew, Jon, the next day. He was shocked at what she had done.

Alarming activity

He pointed out the building work going on in the house next door. They had removed the fence that had previously protected one side of Jan’s garden. Also, the site was open at the front to allow access for diggers and other equipment.

Her home was now vulnerable from the rear. Suddenly the apple trees, shrubs and bushes are ideal hiding places for intruders.

And, worse still, Jan had a habit of not locking her uPVC back door properly. The perfect way for anyone to get into her house from the garden.

Keeping her home security in good working order was now vital.

Jon contacted Eastern and arranged a free survey. After a quick check of the system we took over the maintenance and made sure the alarm was working correctly. Jan now knows exactly what’s happening with her budget and who will be coming to her home to work on her alarm!

TAKEOVER OF EXISTING HOME ALARM SYSTEMS

You don’t have to put up with constant price rises or changes. In most cases, Eastern Security can take over your home alarm maintenance. Even if it has been installed by another company, you can get our top notch customer service for your home alarm maintenance!

We are SSAIB approved so you know our work is of the highest standard. And we won’t just change the price of your maintenance contract with no warning.

Complete the simple form below and someone will call you back to arrange a free site survey.