Many ways to think about this, i'd be more than happy if a previous owner set some decent cameras up and was happy to leave them in place for me.

As to what others might think, we live at the very end of a quiet cul de sac, we have lockable wrought iron steel gates across our drive and our three dogs have the roam of the enclosed premises during the day when my wife is at home (they are not left roaming unattended)..they arn't nasty as such but if any strangers are about they kick up merry hell and they can see all along the road.

We were quite worried our neighbours would be annoyed as they go ballistic at the postman for instance, though we have a gate mounted post box and intercom so he's in no danger at all and he always laughs at their antics.

When i broached the subject of the dogs with the neighbours, they didn't mind in the least, because with the dogs on lookout they are happy there's absolutely no one about who shouldn't be and they too feel more secure for that.

Take from that what you will, i think these days when it's becoming more apparent every year that we are on our own and the country is no longer the Jerusalem i was brought up in, with the police having long departed from their role of local knowledge and crime prevention, that more people will take steps to defend themselves and their own properties.

Edited by gordonbennet on 28/07/2018 at 11:46

Might seem like a strange question but wondered what others might think.

We've been thinking of installing a couple of CCTV cameras at the front linked to a recorder. We haven't had any trouble but might be moving in the next year or three and wondered whether a potential buyer might be encouraged or put off?

Thoughts?

If I were you, I'd first check your local Police Crime Map, going back from the latest one (probably with crimes from 3 months ago) and go as far back, month by month, to see if your street and area has experienced any crime of note, especially those that would be reduced if CCTV were installed, like burglary, car crime, serious anti-social behaviour and/or violence outside the home.

If any/all of these are quite regular and significant in number, then, yes, I'd have (HD) CCTV installed. If not, its more of a hinderence (as well as a significant expense, which I doubt that you'd recoup from [possibly] lower insurance premiums [better to get better locks and store expensive items more securely]) as it could discourage future home buyers by implying that the area has a crime problem when it didn't. A security light or two might be a more useful, cost-effective alternative that can double as a helpful tool for finding the door lock or getting the car in/out of the garage in the dark.

Alarm systems can often be not that great either, as many, even supposedly 'quality' brands, go off on false alarms quite a bit.