Burglar Alarm vs Locks Priority | Spend in the Right Order

An alarm going off means the break-in has already happened. That's not a security win, it's a notification service. Yet the industry sells alarms first, locks second, and most Lewes homeowners end up with a £400 monitored system on the wall and a knackered old five-lever mortice that a determined teenager could bypass in forty seconds.

I see this regularly. A landlord in Landport or a family on the Nevill estate calls us after a break-in and, almost every time, there's an alarm. Sometimes it even activated. The door lock, though, is either a bottom-of-range nightlatch or a uPVC cylinder with a 3p snap-resistant rating.

Why the Industry Gets the Order Wrong

Subscription revenue. A decent alarm company earns £15 to £40 a month from you indefinitely. A good lock is a one-off job, maybe £180 fitted, and you don't hear from that customer again for ten years. There's no recurring income in prevention.

Alarms also photograph well in a brochure. A bell box on a fascia looks like security. A Mul-T-Lock MT5+ cylinder recessed behind a Sold Secure Diamond escutcheon looks like... a door.

What Each Thing Actually Does

Let's be specific about what each layer tests.

The alarm sits at the bottom of that table deliberately. It has no role in preventing entry. Its job is to shorten the time a burglar spends inside and, potentially, to summon help. Both are useful. Neither is the same as not being burgled.

Sussex Police's own guidance, and the insurer-backed Secured by Design scheme, both prioritise physical security at the point of entry. PAS24-certified doors and TS007 3-star cylinders are the hardware requirements for Secured by Design accreditation. The alarm is an optional add-on in that framework, not the foundation.

The Obvious Objection

Alarms do deter. A bell box on a wall in Ringmer or on a terrace off the Cliffe makes a burglar think twice before even trying the door. Fair point. I won't dismiss it.

But deterrence requires the box to be visible and credible. A dummy bell box, or one from a company that went bust two years ago, deters roughly the same amount as a real one. A Mul-T-Lock cylinder deters and physically resists. The deterrence is built into the object itself.

The Sensible Order of Spending

For a typical BN7 or BN8 semi or terrace with a uPVC front door and a timber back door:

1. Replace the cylinder first. An Ultion or Avocet ABS TS007 3-star, fitted with an anti-snap guard. Budget £90 to £130 fitted per door.
2. Check the multipoint lock mechanism. A Maco or Winkhaus mechanism in good working order, with the door adjusted so it actually engages. This is often free to diagnose on a service call.
3. Fit hinge bolts on any outward-opening door. Around £60 to £80 for a pair, fitted.
4. Add a door limiter or chain if you have elderly residents or a rental property with regular handovers.
5. Then consider the alarm. At this point it genuinely adds a layer, because the physical perimeter is already doing its job.

A fair caveat: if you're in a higher-risk property, a corner plot in Malling or a ground-floor flat near Newhaven town centre with multiple access points, an alarm with an NSI-graded monitoring contract is worth having earlier in that list. Layered security is better than single-point security at any level.

But for most homes, the alarm is the fifth thing to buy, not the first. The industry just finds it easier to sell you a box with a monthly fee than a cylinder with a ten-year guarantee.

If you want a straightforward check of what your doors are actually rated at, Fort Secure covers Lewes and the surrounding BN postcodes. We're usually with you in under thirty minutes, and we'll tell you what you've got and what it's worth before quoting anything. No pressure.