A conventional alarm system any of wireless or wired is a most common choice among several, and will be making noise if somebody get in your premises, but by the burglars can have already done dent, and can do more by the time someone responds to the alarm. Although this alarm is connected through a security centre, how long it would be before anyone attends your assets, and what else could happen in meantime?
Also you could deem electronic surveillance with cameras and recording tool, useful for obtaining snaps of the crime in happening and even can brought about an arrest, but again, there could already be break up to your property, or the criminals might not be watched in 'real time', so it could be very late by the time the recording is seen.
You could use a uniformed, calling guarding service, but they can not visit your property frequently, through their shift and for long period of time.
Do you think that any of these options would be a sufficient deterrent to potential would-be burglars, vandals, or squatters? Your decision may be influenced obviously by the area where the property is located – in developed areas there is a more possibility of any offenders being caught, and this would probably stop them from escaping with no alarm, but in a secluded country are with no immediate neighbors, who would be noticing, or exact time it would be before anyone would react to, a sighting on camera or a trigger alarm?
Or would you choose a highly evident on site attendance with external signs of human occupancy, that would deter the majority of the people from coming up to your premises? This type of service has proved extremely effectual with all kinds of properties, from a small cottage to large country houses set up in acres of grounds without any immediate neighbors, and it works as you are having a presence of human on site, not a machine.
Ultimately, at the end of the day, you will have to decide on for yourself – you can pay your money and make selection, but you should be satisfied that you are having the best protection for your property. Also you should make sure that any measure of security which you choose are provided by a well known security company who use only SIA licensed personnel - it's your promise that they have been completely examined and to a accepted standard. Use unlicensed personnel at your own risk – you could save money in the very short period of time, but at what cost? There are examples of consumers who have maintained the services of a "budget" security company, just to find that the purported guards have shredded your property of thousands of dollars worth of goods, and not to be seen again.
Are you prepared for taking that risk?
The main thing is that you will get what you will pay for, but you should decide whether the security service you choose is really giving you the deterrent factor and, finally, the security, required to protect your property.