In order to get the most out of your investment in your newly acquired security cameras, you need to ensure that they are strategically installed to help you actualize the goals you had in mind. Here are some important places to install security cameras in your home.
Ground-floor doors and windows
Obviously, burglars can most easily enter homes the exact same way that homeowners do: through doors or windows on the ground floor. It’s important to have cameras on all your ground-level doors and windows, both inside and outside.
Main stairs or hallway
Any centralized area where burglars would have to pass through to access most of your home should also be surveilled; this is most likely a hallway on the first floor or a stairway leading up.
Common areas
You may also want to secure areas that you commonly use, like a living room or kitchen.
Driveway
If you have a driveway, it’s important that you monitor it with an outdoor camera, as this is another common place that thieves will sneak through to enter your home.
Yard
Secure both your front and back yard with outdoor cameras, as these can be good hiding places for thieves, especially if your landscaping is overgrown.
Second Floor
Do you keep jewelry or other valuables upstairs? While we don’t recommend placing cameras in bedrooms or bathrooms for privacy reasons, be sure to secure a main second floor hallway with an indoor camera; it’s a great way to provide more video evidence, if you end up involved in a criminal investigation.
Garages or detached buildings
Especially if your car or other expensive motorized equipment or tools are in there, be sure to have a camera in your garage. If your Wi-Fi zone doesn’t extend there, either get a range extender or use a camera that doesn’t need Wi-Fi
Where Not To Place Security Cameras
As useful as security cameras are for monitoring your home, there are also places that you definitely shouldn’t surveil, for legal and privacy reasons.
- Neighbor’s property: Depending on your state’s laws, it may or may not be illegal to surveil someone else’s property. Make sure your security cameras are focused on your home and not your neighbors’.
- Bedrooms: Although you may keep valuables in your bedroom, it’s best to leave security cameras out to maintain your privacy.
- Bathrooms: It’s unlikely a burglar would get much out of your bathroom anyway, so there’s little to no security risk in leaving them unmonitored.