We work with clients all over the United States and the topic of having a smart home system has been coming up more and more. Clients are regularly asking me if they should invest in a smart home system or not. The idea may seem appealing initially, but is it for you? Read on to find out!
As with anything these days there are lots of different options on the market if you do decide that having a smart home system is for you. There are some budget friendly options that can be easily installed in the home, or more substantial fully wired options too.
In this article, we’re going to delve into the world of Smart Home Systems. Explaining exactly what they are, which companies are the most popular, and most importantly – if and why having one could really benefit you and your family.
Let’s get into it!
What is A Smart Home System?
Firstly we need to define what a smart home is. There are actually various levels of how a home can be “smart”.
In the most basic sense, there are timers. Do you remember back in the day when you went on vacation, you used a timer to plug your lamps into? It turned lamps on and off at specific times to make it look like someone was home. This was the beginning of the smart home in the most rudimentary sense.
Thankfully technology has advanced significantly and accessible options began to sweep the market. These include the Google Nest, Ring Doorbells, and Amazon Echos. These are app supported devices that help homeowners have more control over their homes. Add in the Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, and suddenly entire suites come together. These are mid market options to create a smart home that are fairly inexpensive.
On the higher end – and this is what our clients have been asking about – are entire home control systems such as Control4, Lutron, and Savant. These higher end systems create an elegant way to control the life of a home. Lighting, audio/visual, window treatments, HVAC, and home security can all be controlled from a tablet in the home.
This sounds pretty swanky, right?! But how do these systems compare from a cost perspective?
Budget Versus Value
Sometimes I introduce the idea of a smart home to a client, but other times they are asking me if it’s the right fit. If they are broaching the subject, I respond with more questions so I can determine specifics from them first and whether it would benefit them or not.
I listen carefully to their answers before making a recommendation. My recommendation will be influenced by their budget and lifestyle as this can vary greatly.
A high-end smart home system is an investment. Clients are often surprised when I share that a lighting system for a 3k-6k sq ft home would be in the budgetary range of $ 20k-$30k alone. If that number gives you heart palpitations, then perhaps an Alexa controlled lighting is a better match for your budget.
If that budget doesn’t sound scary, then it’s worth investigating further.
Control4
Control4 is one of the most popular smart home systems on the market. It can be set up to control your lighting, home security, home theater, multi-room audio, temperature, and more!
You can fully customize the Control4 system to suit you and your lifestyle. From receiving notifications of an unlocked door that needs attention, to creating an on/off system as you leave or enter the home – you can create many different custom elements.
One of the biggest advantages of the Control4 system is that you can manage everything in and around your home from anywhere in the world.
The downside to Control4? Unlike Google Home or the Amazon Alexa is that it can be installed by yourself. The Control4 system needs to be installed by a professional which will increase the price even more. Make sure you reach out to a certified professional who can install the system for you.
Lutron
Lutron has been around since the 1960’s and is one of the most well-known smart home system providers in the world. They have many different products for a variety of sectors.
For the residential sector, HomeWorks is their most advanced and luxurious whole home system. You can customize their keypad and control panels to suit your interior and connect with other brands in your home, like Apple Home, Google Home, and Sonos.
With the HomeWorks system, you can control lighting throughout, and shades. Home security, climate control, and more, can be achieved via third-party integrations.
Similarly to Control4, any Lutron home system will need to be installed by a professional which should be considered when budgeting for a new smart home system.
Savant
Savant is another smart home system provider that can be set up to automate everything. From music to video, and climate control, everything works together with the Savant Home system.
The great thing with Savant is that the home system can be entirely customized to suit you and your lifestyle. This concept is very similar to Control4, in that you can create automations to suit different times of day. You can even create custom lighting scenes to suit any mood or event.
There are many other features available from Savant including their Savant Power which provides electrical outlets for charging vehicles.
Again though, a professional installer is needed to install the Savant systems.
While these are the most popular options for a high-end smart home system, it can quickly become overwhelming. We’re there to support our clients throughout the process to guide them through and help with important decisions, like whether to invest in a smart home system or not.
We work with many homeowners and architects to support them on their interior design. This includes from the early stages of a build, to support on-site decisions. Deciding whether or not to install a smart home system needs to happen in the very early stages of a project because of the amount of work needed on-site in order to make it happen.
Are you considering a smart home system? Contact us today to talk things through with a professional!
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