If you're buying CCTV for the first time, you're probably carrying around a list of questions you haven't quite asked anyone yet, either because you're not sure who to ask, or because you're worried they're basic. They're not. These are the exact questions our technicians answer on nearly every site survey, in the order buyers usually ask them.
"How many cameras do I actually need?"
For a typical 3 to 5 bedroom home, four to eight cameras covering the perimeter gates, all entry doors, and driveways is a reasonable starting point, but the honest answer depends on your specific property layout, not a fixed number. A proper site survey, walking the property and identifying every entry point and blind spot, is the only reliable way to answer this. Anyone who quotes you a camera count sight unseen is guessing.
"Will the cameras work at night?"
Yes, if they have infrared or starlight night vision, which almost all modern security cameras do. Standard IR gives you black-and-white footage up to roughly 30 to 60m in darkness. If you need colour identification at night (clothing, vehicle colour), you'll want starlight sensors or white-light colour night vision cameras specifically, which cost more but deliver meaningfully more usable footage after dark.
"How much storage do I actually need?"
A 4-camera 1080p system recording continuously uses roughly 1TB per week. A good installer sizes your hard drive based on camera count, resolution, and how many days of footage you want to keep on hand, typically 14 to 30 days for residential use. Motion-only recording, rather than continuous 24/7 recording, can cut storage needs by up to 70%, which is worth discussing if you're trying to stretch a smaller hard drive further.
"Can I check the cameras from my phone when I'm not home?"
Yes. Remote access via free apps like Hik-Connect (Hikvision) or DMSS (Dahua) is standard on modern systems, and installers typically set this up as part of the installation and give you a short walkthrough. You'll get live view, playback, and motion alerts from anywhere with an internet connection.
"What happens during a power cut?"
Without a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), your NVR or DVR stops recording the moment power drops, which means you have zero coverage during exactly the kind of disruption that sometimes accompanies opportunistic break-ins. A UPS sized to your recorder and modem keeps the system running for a few hours during an outage. It's a relatively small additional cost for a meaningful gap it closes.
"Do I need professional installation, or can I DIY it?"
Basic Wi-Fi camera kits can genuinely be self-installed. Multi-camera wired systems involve cable routing, drilling, NVR configuration, network setup, and camera angle optimisation that benefits significantly from an experienced installer, both for the finished result and for the workmanship warranty that comes with professional installation. If a break-in ever happens, the last thing you want to discover is that a DIY cable run was damaged by weather or rodents six months in.
"What's actually included in a quotation?"
A proper written quotation should itemise cameras (with model and resolution), the NVR or DVR, cabling, the hard drive, mounting hardware, labour, and any UPS or surge protection. If a quotation is a single lump-sum number with no breakdown, ask for the itemised version before committing. It's a reasonable request and any legitimate installer will provide it without hesitation.
"How long does installation actually take?"
A standard 4 to 8 camera residential installation typically takes one full working day, depending on cable run distances and whether cabling needs to be concealed in trunking or run through existing conduit. Larger commercial installations with more channels take proportionally longer.
The one question worth asking before any other
Ask any prospective installer: "will you visit my property before quoting?" If the answer is no, that alone tells you most of what you need to know about the quality of what follows.
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