By the SightShield team · · 3 min read
Count the entry points, not the rooms
The right number of cameras for a home comes from the ways someone can get in and the places you want to see, not from the number of rooms. Walk around your home and list every gate, door, staircase, side passage and ground-floor window that cannot be seen from the road. Each of those is a candidate for a camera.
Typical numbers
| Home type | Typical cameras | Usual positions |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment flat | 1–3 | Main door (or video door phone), living area, balcony if accessible |
| Independent house (G+1) | 4–6 | Gate, front door, car parking, side passage, back door, staircase/terrace door |
| Duplex or larger house | 6–8 | As above plus terrace, rear garden and a second entrance |
| Villa with compound | 8–16 | Gate, driveway, every door, compound corners, garden, servant entrance, terrace |
Cover these first
- The main gate or entrance — aimed to see faces of people and vehicles coming in.
- The front door — a video door phone often does this job and lets you talk to visitors.
- The car parking or driveway.
- Any back or side entrance hidden from the street.
- The terrace or roof door, a common entry point in Bangalore houses.
Indoor cameras: yes or no?
Indoor cameras are useful in the living area and the inside of the main door, especially for families with elderly parents or young children at home with staff. Keep them out of bedrooms and bathrooms, tell household staff where cameras are, and use cameras with a privacy mode if you want them off when the family is home.
Apartment flats
In an apartment, the building usually covers the gate, lobby and lifts. Your own system needs to cover the main door from inside or a door viewer outside, the balcony if reachable, and perhaps the living room. One to three cameras, or a video doorbell plus one indoor camera, is typical. Ask your association before mounting anything in the common corridor.
Plan for growth
Buy a recorder with more channels than you need today — an 8-channel recorder for a 5-camera home leaves room for a terrace or garden camera later. Ask the installer to lay one or two spare cables while the walls are open or the conduit is being run. Adding a camera later is then a half-hour job.
Planning a Home Security Budget →A typical independent house plan
For a G+1 house in Bangalore we often fit five cameras: a 4MP camera at the gate, a turret at the front door, one on the car parking, one on the side passage leading to the back, and one at the terrace door — plus a video door phone at the gate. Recording runs on an 8-channel recorder with 15–30 days of storage, connected to the home inverter, with all cameras viewable on the family’s phones.
CCTV for homes and villas →Resolution and storage for homes
A 4MP camera is a good default for most home positions; a higher resolution or narrower lens at the gate helps identify faces and number plates. For storage, four 4MP cameras on H.265 use roughly 80 GB a day of continuous recording, so a 2TB disk holds about three to four weeks, depending on settings and motion — use our calculator for your exact numbers.
CCTV hard disk calculator →Quick answers
Is one camera enough for a flat?+
One camera or a video door phone covering the main door is often enough for a flat in a secured apartment. Add one indoors if you want to check on family or staff.
Should home cameras be wired or Wi-Fi?+
Wired cameras with a recorder are more reliable for outdoor and entry points; Wi-Fi cameras suit one or two indoor spots.
How many days should a home CCTV record?+
Fifteen to 30 days is typical, so incidents noticed after a trip are still on record.
Do I need a camera on every floor?+
Not usually. Focus on entry points: gate, doors, terrace access and parking. Indoor cameras are optional.
Can I add cameras later?+
Yes, if the recorder has spare channels. Buying an 8-channel recorder for a 5-camera home leaves room to grow.