Burglar Alarm vs Locks Priority | Spend in the Right Order
Alarms react. Locks prevent. Here's why most homes in Nottingham are spending their security budget backwards, and what to fix first.
Most homes in Nottingham buy a burglar alarm before they've sorted their locks. That's backwards, and the alarm industry knows it.
An alarm cannot stop a burglar. It can notify someone after entry has already happened. A decent cylinder lock, correctly specified, can stop entry entirely. Those are not the same thing, and treating them as interchangeable is how households end up with a £30-a-month monitoring subscription on a door with a £12 cylinder that snaps in forty seconds.
What an Alarm Actually Does
A standard Grade 2 alarm (the typical domestic fit) detects movement or magnetic contact breaks, then triggers a siren and, if monitored, sends a signal to an Alarm Receiving Centre. Average police response to a confirmed alarm in the NG postcodes sits somewhere between eight and twenty minutes. A confident burglar is in, through, and gone in under four. The siren is real. The deterrent is real. The protection during the break-in itself is not.
The subscription model is also worth naming plainly. Fitting an alarm costs the installer time and parts, then generates £20 to £40 per month indefinitely. Fitting a proper cylinder costs £80 to £150 once, then nothing. You can see why the industry leads with the alarm.
What a Lock Actually Does
A TS007 3-star cylinder, an Ultion or Avocet ABS for instance, is tested to resist snap, pick, drill, and bump. It doesn't react to a break-in. It prevents one. A burglar who can't snap the cylinder in ten seconds will usually walk away, because most domestic burglary is opportunistic and time-sensitive.
Here's a simple way to think about the spending order:
| Priority | Product | Approx. cost (fitted) | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TS007 3-star anti-snap cylinder | £85 to £140 | Physically prevents the most common entry method |
| 2 | BS3621 or BS8621 deadlock (if no multipoint) | £120 to £200 | Resists forced entry on older single-lock doors |
| 3 | Door reinforcement (hinge bolts, door chain or bar) | £40 to £80 | Stops kick-in on poorly-framed doors |
| 4 | Burglar alarm | £300 to £800 installed + monitoring | Detects and signals after the perimeter is breached |
None of those alarm figures are wrong. An alarm absolutely earns its place, especially on a property with multiple entry points, outbuildings, or a landlord's legal obligations under a tenancy. It's step four, not step one.
The Obvious Objection
Someone will say: a visible alarm box deters burglars before they even try. That's true. A Bell box on a Sherwood semi or a Lenton terrace does put some people off. So does a visible high-security cylinder on the door. So does good exterior lighting. Deterrence is not unique to alarms, and the alarm box works hardest when the rest of the door looks serious.
The Fair Caveat
If your locks are already sorted, an alarm is excellent next spend. If you rent out a property in Bulwell or Clifton and your tenants lose keys regularly, a monitored system adds a layer that makes practical sense. This isn't anti-alarm. It's anti-wrong-order.
Get the cylinder right first. TS007 3-star on every external door. Hinge bolts if the frame is soft. Then consider whether monitoring adds genuine value to your specific situation, rather than buying peace of mind for the alarm company's revenue stream.
Fort Secure covers Nottingham and the NG1 to NG11 postcodes. If you're not sure what cylinder is on your door right now, that's worth finding out before the next direct-mail leaflet from an alarm company lands on your mat. Call us, we'll give you an honest answer on the phone, and we're usually with you in under thirty minutes if you want eyes on it.
Priya Nair, Security and standards specialist
Priya is the one who reads the test reports. She handles the survey work, the insurance questions and anything where the British Standard actually matters, and she will happily explain why the number on the box is not the number that counts.
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