In short
Whether an alarm system is worth it depends on three things: how long you’ll stay in the same home, what you have to protect and whether someone can respond to an alarm. When you buy, the monthly fee is 9,18 €, or about 0,30 € a day. But if you’re moving out in two months, the system may not pay off, because the minimum rental period is 3 months and installation is 150 €.
- Worth it: your own home, a longer plan and someone who can respond
- May not be worth it: you’re moving in a couple of months
- Bonus: smoke, carbon monoxide and water leak sensors in the same system
We sell alarm systems ourselves, but there are situations where your money is better spent on something else. Below are seven questions worth asking yourself before you buy. All prices include VAT.
1. How high is the risk of theft in Estonia right now?
In 2025, Estonia recorded 12 563 thefts, the highest figure in the last ten years (Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, crime statistics). That covers all thefts, not just break-ins at homes, so it doesn’t mean your home is next. Still, the number is the highest in ten years.
Your own risk depends more on where and how you live. A house on the edge of a wood, a summer house nobody visits in winter or a ground-floor flat is a different situation from a sixth-floor flat you can only reach through the stairwell.
2. How much does an alarm system cost per day?
When you buy, the monthly fee is 9,18 €, or 110,16 € a year, which works out at about 0,30 € a day. On top of that come the devices and installation at the start, so below is the total cost broken down per day:
| Option | Cost | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee only, buying | 110,16 € a year | 0,30 € |
| Start rent (flat) | 208,32 € a year | 0,57 € |
| Plus rent (house) | 282,72 € a year | 0,77 € |
| Start bought, 3 years incl. installation | 865 € | 0,79 € |
| Start rented, 3 years incl. installation | 775 € | 0,71 € |
Three years is 1 095 days. Over that time, alarm protection for a flat costs 0,71–0,79 € a day, all costs included. Once the devices you bought have paid for themselves in about four years, only the monthly fee is left, about 0,30 € a day.
3. Is an alarm system worth it if you’re moving soon?
If you live in a small rented flat and you’re moving in two months, probably not. The minimum rental period is 3 months and installation is 150 €, so with the Start package you’d pay at least 150 + 3 × 17,36 = 202,08 € to use the system for two months. Buying would cost 535 € up front. For a short time, it makes more sense to come to an arrangement with a neighbour, check the lock and make sure there’s a smoke detector on the ceiling, which is the owner’s duty anyway.
If you’re staying in the same home for years, it’s a different picture. Renting is cheaper for about four years, after which buying is cheaper. A wireless system also suits a rented flat, because no cables are run: the sensors are fixed with small screws and the hub plugs into a socket.
4. Who responds when the alarm goes off?
If nobody responds to the alarm, an alarm system isn’t much use. With GSMvalve, the alarm goes to your phone and to all added users at the same time: your partner, a grown-up child, a neighbour. The motion sensor with camera sends a series of photos, so within a couple of seconds you can see whether it’s the cat or a stranger.
If there’s nobody nearby, you can add a patrol through a partner, and the price depends on the area. And if you want someone to always come out without you having to decide anything, choose a security company’s monitoring service. It’s usually more expensive, but then the answer to “who goes to check” is clear.
An alarm system pays off when the alarm reaches a person who knows what to do and can do it.
5. What does an alarm system do besides protecting against theft?
Often more than you think. You can add sensors to the same hub that protect your home even if burglars never come:
- Smoke detector (56 € or 2,48 €/month). The detector has an 85 dB siren and at the same time sends an alert to your phone, even when nobody is at home. Under § 32(3) of the Estonian Fire Safety Act, the owner of a house or flat must fit at least one room with a standalone smoke detector, and the fine is up to 300 fine units.
- Smoke, carbon monoxide and temperature sensor (82 € or 3,72 €/month). Since 1 January 2018, a carbon monoxide detector has been mandatory in Estonian homes with a gas appliance connected to a chimney, and there are about 40 000 such homes. Carbon monoxide is invisible and has no smell.
- Water leak sensor (37 € or 1,24 €/month). The cable probe goes by the washing machine, water heater or boiler. At a summer house nobody visits in winter or at the end of the heating season, you find out about a leak straight away, not in spring.
When you buy, extra devices don’t raise the monthly fee: it stays at 9,18 €. That way the alarm system also warns you about fire, carbon monoxide and water leaks.
6. What is peace of mind worth?
It’s hard to put a price on, but for many people it’s the main reason. The app shows who armed or disarmed the system and when, so at work you can see that your child got home from school. On holiday you don’t have to wonder whether the alarm is on: you can see it on your phone and arm it from there if needed. In night mode, the doors and windows stay armed while you move freely indoors.
Tip. Add at least one person who lives nearby as a user. Then an alarm won’t go unanswered even when you’re on a plane or in a meeting, and your peace of mind doesn’t depend on your phone alone.
7. What can you do without an alarm system?
Quite a lot, and these steps pay off in any home. A solid lock and a frame that won’t give way to a crowbar. An outdoor light with a motion sensor, so the garden isn’t dark. A neighbour who knows you’re away and takes the post out of the letterbox. Holiday photos on social media only once you’re back.
An alarm system doesn’t replace these. It adds what a lock can’t do: an alert to your phone the moment something happens. Installation is one visit, usually a couple of hours, and it costs the same anywhere in Estonia.
Summary
An alarm system is worth it if you live in the same home for at least a couple of years, you have something to protect (a home you leave empty, a summer house, valuable property) and someone can respond to an alarm. For a flat, it costs 0,71–0,79 € a day over three years and covers fire, carbon monoxide and water leaks as well as theft. If you’re moving in a couple of months, start with a lock and a neighbour.
Frequently asked questions
Is an alarm system worth it?
If you live in the same home for at least a couple of years and someone can respond to an alarm, then generally yes. GSMvalve alarm protection for a flat costs 775–865 € over three years including installation, or about 0,71–0,79 € a day. If you’re moving in a few months, it may not pay off.
Can I rent an alarm system for less than 3 months?
No. The GSMvalve rental contract has no fixed end date, the minimum period is 3 months, and you need to give 3 months’ notice to end it. Installation also costs 150 € when you rent.
Does an alarm system protect against fire too?
Yes, if it includes a smoke detector. The GSMvalve smoke detector raises the alarm with an 85 dB siren and sends an alert to every user’s phone, so you find out about a fire even when nobody is at home.
What is the lowest monthly cost of an alarm system?
When you buy a GSMvalve system, the monthly fee is 9,18 €, or about 0,30 € a day, and it doesn’t go up when you add sensors. Renting the Start package for a flat is 17,36 € a month. Prices include VAT.
Read also: buy or rent · smoke, carbon monoxide and temperature sensor · leave your number
Written by the GSMvalve team
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