Planning a Smart Home the Right Way

Smart houses can be created in the planning stage of a house as well as being retrofitted to existing houses. The essential difference between the two being that in new houses the wires can be hidden into the walls during the construction stage. In an existing house the wires will have to be exposed, or hidden outside of the walls. When planning to install smart house technology into an existing house there is also the option of using wireless technology. This eliminates the need for messy wiring. Challenges can also arise when connecting existing appliances to a smart home system.  Some appliances such as gas, oil and electric heaters can all be adapted for a smart home. Lighting is another item that can be retrofitted to become part of the integrated smart house system. You also have the option of connecting many of your appliances in the house. This house was automated by Inspire Audio Visual.

There are many advantages in having a smart home. Smart homes are convenient, secure, accessible and efficient. The convenience is often the main reason people choose to have a smart home. The ability to control items such as the lighting, heating, music and media devices from within or outside the house is highly desirable. Lights can be programed to turn on or off as people enter rooms, making it very convenient and efficient. The security advantages are another popular reason to get a smart house. Many smart houses contain not only cameras, motion detection systems and links to the police but also fingerprint identification, making these houses very secure. These homes are also ideal for the elderly or disabled as so many controls can be put on timers or even accessed via voice controls.

So now that you have decided on a smart house what can you expect? A smart home can be built into a new house during the design stage or it can be built into an existing house, although this will take more time and effort. There are many different levels of automation of a house, depending on personal desires or requirements. A house can be fully integrated with smart controls or have only a handful of appliances integrated into the system. A smart house has the ability to integrate the controls of the security, intercom, lighting, entertainment and appliances within a house. When choosing what level of integration your home will have consider how the system will most benefit your families lifestyle. When up and running all systems and appliances integrated in the smart house can be controlled the smart phone in your pocket, wherever you are. 

It is much easier to plan a smart house for a new home. When you plan ahead of time, the potentially messy wiring can be conveniently hidden in walls. Although if you want to include smart controls into a new house there are considerations that must be made early on. The first step is to create a plan. What parts of the house do you want to be integrated into the smart house controls? Do you want a simple plan with just the heating or lighting? Or a complete integration from the security system to the television? Consider installing Ethernet networking cable installation to at least one point in every room of the new house. This will future proof the house for future installations. And finally, choose your appliances well. As the smart home controller does all the work, appliances do not need to be ‘smart’ so choose appliances that are right for the job. This room was deigned by Media & Home. 

Installing a smart home system in a house is an expensive option, whether it is an existing home or a new build. Although the financial benefits of having smart house integration that can outweigh the costs. A Smart House can improve the energy efficiency and increase the resale value of a house. Smart homes can be incredibly energy efficient. The lights can be set to turn off automatically when no one is in the room. Thermostats can be set to turn on only when the temperature drops. These automated functions can save a lot of wasted energy. This is further enhanced when it is used with energy saving appliances. Smart homes are also a more attractive prospect for buyers.  Houses with an automated home system have the potential to sell for far more than a conventional house. This automatically increases its prospective resale value.

For some people the prospect of overhauling their existing house can seem expensive and problematic. Although there is a way to introduce automation into a house one step at a time. One good way to start introducing smart features to a house is with the lighting system. A smart light globe is the most simple form of smart appliance. Although this can be very expensive for what it is. A more economic alternative is the lighting hub. The hub is a cheaper option and allows for a few different lights to be connected to the same hub. With a smart hub you can control individual lights in the hub, or groups of them from your smart phone. 

The concept of a smart house can seem like something from a futuristic film. The ability to control your entire house from a smart phone or computer from miles away is now a reality. Although is this something that you would want or need? No matter how you use this technology there are so many ways that smart house technology can work for you. Set your thermostat to warm the house before you arise on a cold winters day, or leave your lights on a timer so your house is bright and welcoming when you arrive home. These are just some ideas of what can be achieved with smart house technology. For more ideas see North Yorkshire Home Cinema and AutomationInstallation.