You’ve got the keys. There’s a keypad on the wall, maybe a panel tucked away in a cupboard, sensors dotted around the rooms. Someone chose this system, installed it, and set it up — just not you. You don’t know which codes still work, who else might know them, whether there’s an app tied to it, whether anything is actually monitoring the property, or when it was last serviced.
Don’t start by deciding whether the old alarm should stay or go. First work out what you’ve actually got to work with.
There are three separate things worth establishing before you decide anything: Equipment — what’s physically installed. Access — whether you can actually control it. Service — whether anything outside the house is still connected to it. Work through those, and the decision about what to do next becomes a lot easier to make.
First, Don’t Reset or Remove Anything
Before you know what the system actually is and what configuration might still be useful, don’t make a factory reset, a rewiring job, or pulling equipment off the wall your first move. Whatever’s programmed into that panel right now — zones, settings, maybe even monitoring details — is information you might want later, and it’s easy to lose before you’ve had a chance to look at it properly. This isn’t a safety warning; it’s just sequencing. Understand it first, change it second.
Step 1: Work Out What Equipment Is Actually There
Start by gathering what you can see and what’s been left behind. That means:
- Any visible brand or model information on the keypad or panel.
- How many keypads there are, and where.
- Visible detectors, sensors and sirens.
- Manuals, invoices, or paperwork left with the property.
- Service stickers or maintenance labels on the equipment.
- Anything the seller or agent can tell you about the system.
A powered keypad tells you something is responding — it doesn’t by itself tell you the full state or configuration of the alarm. That’s worth keeping in mind before assuming a working keypad means a fully understood system.
Step 2: Establish Who Can Actually Control It
This is one of the most important steps, and the one new homeowners most often skip. Being able to arm and disarm the system with whatever code you were given is useful — but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have all the access you’ll actually need going forward. That might include:
- The user or master code, where applicable.
- Whether other people still know a working code.
- App access, if the system has one.
- Admin or account-level access, not just a user code.
- Any documentation about how the system is configured.
Being able to operate the system day-to-day is a different thing from being able to manage it — add or remove users, change settings, or hand it over to someone else later.
Some modern systems add another layer here. Ajax, for example, documents what happens when a hub is already added to another account — a new owner is notified the hub belongs to someone else’s account and directed to Technical Support to establish who holds admin rights, rather than being able to simply start using it. If the system in your new home turns out to be Ajax specifically, SIPKO already has a dedicated guide to taking over an existing Ajax alarm that walks through exactly that process.
Step 3: Find Out What Service or Monitoring Exists
Hardware being installed in the house doesn’t tell you whether anything outside the property is actually connected to it. Worth checking:
- Any monitoring or service paperwork left behind.
- Provider information printed on the panel or in documentation.
- Communicator details, if you can identify them.
- Past service records.
- Any account or app information tied to monitoring specifically.
The real question here is simple: is anything outside this house currently connected to, or responsible for, this system? You won’t know that from looking at the equipment alone — it needs to be checked separately.
Step 4: Find Out What Still Works — and What Still Has Value
This is where “working” and “worth keeping” start to diverge. A panel that arms without complaint isn’t automatically the right system for what you need now, and an old system isn’t automatically worthless just because it’s old. Worth assessing:
- The panel’s actual condition.
- Whether detectors and sensors are responding properly.
- Sirens and outputs.
- The state of existing wiring.
- Whether communication/monitoring is functioning, if relevant.
- Any faults or unusual behaviour.
- Whether the current setup actually suits how you’ll use the property.
The decision isn’t simply whether the alarm can still arm. It’s whether the installation is understood, controllable, and useful for what the property actually needs now.
Then Decide What the System’s Next Job Is
Once equipment, access and service are clear, four outcomes are realistic.
Keep it. If the system is understood, you have the access you need, and it suits the property, there may be nothing more to do right now.
Service it. If the architecture is fine but something specific needs attention — a fault, a battery, an assessment to confirm everything’s in order — that’s a straightforward next step. SIPKO’s alarm service and assessment covers exactly this: checking what’s installed first, then explaining what it actually needs.
Take it over or modernise it. If parts of the existing installation still have value but the control platform, communication, or account access needs to change, that’s a middle path rather than a full replacement.
Replace or redesign it. If the existing system doesn’t suit what you want from the property going forward, that’s a separate conversation. If that’s the direction, SIPKO can design a new Ajax installation around the property’s current requirements — and suitable existing wired detectors may sometimes retain value through Ajax’s MultiTransmitter, depending on their type and condition.
First-Week Checklist
Before making changes to the inherited alarm:
- Record any visible brand/model information.
- Gather manuals, invoices and paperwork left with the property.
- Establish what codes, users, or app/admin access you actually have.
- Find out whether any monitoring or service arrangement exists.
- Note faults or unexplained behaviour rather than immediately resetting the system.
- Have the installation assessed before deciding what to remove or replace.
FAQ
How much does it cost to check or take over an alarm system in a house I’ve just bought?
A SIPKO service call-out starts from $270. If a system takeover is the better option, takeover starts from $2,880. The right path depends on what’s already installed, its condition and what you want the system to do.
Can I use the alarm system already installed in the house?
You may be able to, but first establish what equipment is installed, what access you have and what condition the system is in before assuming it’s ready to use as-is.
Should I change the alarm code after buying a house?
Once you understand the system, it’s sensible to review the users, codes and account access associated with it, so the current household controls the configuration going forward.
How do I know whether the old alarm is monitored?
You can’t tell just from the equipment being there. Check for monitoring paperwork, provider details, or account information, and confirm directly rather than assuming either way.
Can an existing wired alarm be upgraded instead of completely replaced?
In some installations, yes — existing wiring and detectors may retain value depending on their condition and compatibility with the new setup. That’s something worth assessing rather than assuming.
If you’ve bought a property with an alarm you didn’t choose and aren’t sure what still works, what you control, or what’s worth keeping, SIPKO can assess the existing installation before you decide what comes next.
