When you think of smart home technology, you may presume that it’s a luxury and can only be installed in your home if your budget allows.
As time goes on and technologies develop, some of these have become more affordable and should be considered readily within reach to meet the demands of your home and make our lives a little easier.
But where to begin? With so many options, how do you begin making choices? And what can be achieved on a modest budget?
Putting together a wish list of your rooms, and the uses within each is a good place to start. To do this, you could begin by visualising exactly how you hope to use each room.
Some ideas include >
The kitchen – not only is this a space for preparing food and dining, it is often used to check emails, watch TV, listen to music and even to monitor energy use and CCTV. Consider the availability of the Internet, digital screen and speaker locations, and easy access to charging points for all your wireless devices.
The bedroom – again this is a key area for TV, music, internet and charging points. Most people charge their phones overnight these days.
It’s also worthwhile bearing in mind how you would like your home to function as a whole and also if you plan to stay in your home for the foreseeable future how you might want to adapt it to your needs. For example, central controls for lighting and heating – may be also accessed through a mobile device?
Smart Home Technology options will include >
- Multi-room audio
- TV/Visual inc. CCTV
- Lighting (inc. PIR & remote control)
- Smart heating controls
- Intruder Alarms with remote visual & control access
- Central and remote access for all the above
Things to consider when implementing smart home technology include >
A wired network – If you’re building from scratch, and intend to remain in the house for the foreseeable future, then experts still agree it makes absolute sense to future-proof in this way. It’s also a good selling point if you’re moving on.
A specialist installer/designer – they can really help with making suggestions you’d perhaps never considered or thought impossible. They can also help whittle down your wish list to reflect your priorities and overall budget.
What are the costs to have smart room technology in your home?
Obviously, this is totally dependent on the technologies you choose, and your budget can vary massively. A fully integrated whole-house system with lots of features programmed back to a central control, is likely to set you back tens of thousands.
You can expect costs in the region of >
- £500–2,000 for multi-room audio
- A sophisticated heating control system will cost around £2,000-3,000
- Design and installation of a Cat6 and coaxial system may cost around £2,000–3,000
- An integrated TV room with a control system and concealed wires could set you back £5,000–6,000
If you are considering smart home technologies for your project, as part of our service we can put you in touch with relevant consultants/installers to discuss your specific requirements.
