ᐅ Construction Monitoring for a Semi-Detached House: Where is the Best Place to Install Cameras, Floodlights, and (Siren)?

Hello everyone, attached are two photos showing the front and rear views; the green half (right side from the front) is mine. These are rendered images; the people are not real.

Where would you recommend installing the construction surveillance cameras and floodlights for planning where I will need the PoE cables?
The cameras will most likely be PoE UniFi models (the entire network is planned around this), alternatively Reolink, smartly controlled via HomeAssistant, with an additional NAS for storage. I am aware of the laws regarding filming neighboring properties, which can also be masked out in the software.

I read that cameras should be mounted at about 3 meters (10 feet) high, but not necessarily higher to still be able to recognize faces. Would it be best to use smart motion detectors or even deliberately classic motion sensors that first turn on garden lighting at night? Or better to link them so that when the camera detects a person rather than an animal, the floodlight is smartly switched on in the garden?
Is it also possible to mount cameras on downspouts, or do the mounts loosen due to strong temperature fluctuations?
I’m having a hard time with this because the setup should not be too visually intrusive. Is it common to place cameras between two windows, for example, or better centered or at the edge of a window? Should the floodlights be installed directly with or above the camera, or deliberately elsewhere, and for what reasons?
At the front, a video doorbell is planned, probably also UniFi. Is that enough for the front area, or should I also cover the outer corner of the garage to angle towards the entrance? Although then the neighbor would be filmed every time; with the doorbell, you can easily censor that, but not really from an angled position.
And what about an alarm siren?
What are your thoughts?

At the front, you’ve already identified the main issues with the layout quite well—there’s not much you can do. The only option I can think of would be to install a camera on the corner of the house pointing towards the garage driveway.

This, of course, applies only to the camera—when it comes to lighting, you can do whatever you like. It would be useful to know the peak times for pedestrian and through traffic, because having a floodlight that’s constantly turning on might upset your neighbors.

At the back, you should coordinate with your neighbor, but generally, you’re free to install what you want. Placing a camera between the windows and floodlights on both the right and left sides is always a good setup. Important: the lights should be switchable, otherwise garden parties won’t be much fun.

mm56789 schrieb:

Where would you place the construction site surveillance cameras and floodlights?

Not at all. I would skip them.

mm56789 schrieb:

I read that cameras should be installed about 3m (10 feet) high, but not much higher so that faces can still be recognized.

That’s not entirely correct. Whether faces can be recognized depends on the resolution, the quality of the infrared lighting, and the focus adjustment. Floodlights are less necessary; motion-activated lighting is more effective. And it shouldn’t be at floodlight intensity, since that can wash out details of the person responsible due to overexposure.
A height of about three meters (10 feet) is recommended so that the culprit can’t reach up and damage or tamper with the camera. However, at that height you are more likely capturing the top of the head rather than a clear face.
Entry points are usually on the side facing away from the street or via a window with screening (hedges).
For the garden side, if applicable, a garden shed is a good location to mount a camera aimed at the patio doors.
You mentioned having a camera at the front door, which should generally be sufficient.
New housing developments are very rarely targeted because there’s usually nothing valuable to steal. Young residents often don’t keep much cash at home, and gold jewelry is seldom stored in wardrobes anymore. The close proximity of neighbors means many witnesses, so the risk of being targeted is very low. Only certain types of vehicles might attract attention.
Motion-activated lights should deter any remaining intruders who might wander onto your property and also help maintain a sense of security. Recordings on a phone can sometimes increase anxiety rather than reduce it.
Consider what you want to achieve with lighting and cameras, what benefits you expect, and what you actually need them for. The police appreciate good-quality footage but don’t want to review videos of every person passing by.
What lies beyond your garden? Another row of houses? A street? Forest or fields?

mm56789 schrieb:

Hello everyone, attached are two photos showing the front and back views. The green half (right side from the front) is mine. These are rendered images; the people shown are not real.

... from a Tecklenburg project, if I’m not mistaken.

mm56789 schrieb:

Where would you recommend placing the security cameras and floodlights?

Isn’t floodlighting rather counterproductive when using night-vision cameras?

mm56789 schrieb:

I’m aware of the laws regarding filming neighboring properties; you can also mask those areas using software.

I find that problematic: you would need to set up the software masking to pixelate those areas from the start. But try doing that with a camera that needs to pan or rotate. Editing in post-production makes the evidence questionable; unmasked footage, on the other hand, can lead to claims of violating personal image rights and potentially successful countersuits.
Why would you want to weaken the privacy protection your neighbors have by marking your house with surveillance equipment, effectively signaling that this is where something can be gained?
A smart higher-income homeowner tends to blend in with an inconspicuous neighborhood (driving a mid-range car like a 5 Series or E-Class rather than a 7 Series or S-Class). Cameras, revolving lights, and sirens also act as a kind of “burglar sign” — but one put up by the potential victim themselves. Prevention works differently. If you want to stand out, do it the other way: with signs that show a clan lives here that you don’t want to mess with. Imagine a luxury sports car like a Lamborghini parked in front of the house.

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mm56789 schrieb:

Attached are two photos showing the front and back views,

This looks completely different from the no-go area described in your old thread:

mm56789 schrieb:

Right around this area are many old, dilapidated large social housing complexes/terraced houses, with only a few meters separating the garden areas of the new buildings and the social housing, mostly divided by tall trees. [...]

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