Security Camera Planning & Positioning at Home

There’s a lot to consider when putting up security cameras at home. Forward planning before you purchase will help to make sure you get the right kit or set of cameras to fit the purpose. The location of your CCTV camera is imperative for keeping your home and your family safe and secure.

You’ll need to consider the following:

• How many entrances do you have into your home?
• What fixtures can you mount the cameras on?
• Are the lighting conditions appropriate?
• Outdoor areas that need protection
• Will my cameras be out of reach to intruders?
• Is there shelter to protect the cameras?
• What kind of connectivity and control do I need?
• Will installation be too much of a challenge in my home?
• What is the main purpose of the cameras?

Once you know where your smart security cameras will be positioned and what you’ll attach them to, you can start looking for the products you need. It’s great to do plenty of research, to see what’s out there. Mitre 10 stocks some really fantastic starter bundles you can purchase that have varying fields of view, video definition, connectivity functionality, wired and wireless set up, recorder boxes and other useful features.

Start by identifying the areas you need to protect most by doing a recce outside of your home. Are there areas of your yard that are hidden and require their own dedicated camera? How many entry points are there, including windows and doors that you need to have footage of? Do you have any prized possessions like a car or a motorbike that lives outdoors in view of passers-by? If you’re comfortable with only protecting the doors to your home then fewer cameras will be required. If you prefer to have a thorough 360-degree vision of your entire property then you should definitely think of purchasing a kit (like this Eufy bundle) that comes with several cameras and sensors.

Once you’ve chosen your cameras, you should make a conscious effort to understand which angles they work best on and in which light you’ll get the best footage. A lot of cameras come with flood lights for enhanced night vision or you can choose to position the camera where you already have a sensor operated flood light. Get the most out of your camera by putting it somewhere that it will be protected by shelter (especially if it isn’t waterproof). This will ensure your camera isn’t wet, or obstructed by anything else in regards to the elements outside.

Make sure the camera is as out of reach as possible to deter any intruders from tampering with the camera or even taking it down. Points of entry like doors or windows are a great place to start with installing your cameras in front of. The front gate can also be a spot that is easy breached by unwanted visitors. You may find that you are able to find CCTV camera locations that are hidden from view – just because you can’t see the camera, doesn’t mean it can’t see you.

Cameras with sensor lights may startle an intruder and indicate that they are being watched. Often if a camera is visible but far out of reach, an intruder will back away in fear of being identified. There are warning stickers available that will make sure anyone entering your property knows they are being monitored. Knowing that there is constant surveillance should deter a burglar even if they think no one is home. Alternatively, you can get a security camera that has a built-in alarm or two-way speaker to scare away just about anyone.