Smart homes for every budget
From a few remote-controlled features to full automation, home tech can be had at all price points. Emily Brooks takes a look at what you can achieve for your money
Emily Brooks explores the best options for achieving a hightech home, however much money you've got to spend, from smart lighting setups through to fully automated systems
Home technology can easily be tailored to suit the depth of your pockets. It might start with a £20 app-controlled lightbulb that can be turned on or off remotely, for example. And it might stop somewhere around the six-figure mark for a completely integrated smart home where everything is centrally controlled, from security to media streaming, with tip-top audio-visual equipment to boot.
Entry-level tech
For smaller budgets, or if a renovation project doesn’t involve extensive electrical works, wireless and pluggable consumer products are booming. “These are designed to enhance the efficiency of your home, saving time and energy while enabling you to set scenarios for your daily routines,” says Katrina Mills, smart home buyer at John Lewis & Partners. The company has opened several dedicated smart tech departments at its stores – ideal if you want to try before you buy.
For example, a Google Home Hub controller (£139) can be paired with more than 10,000 devices, from Philips Hue lightbulbs that have alarms, timers and alerts (£60) to a Nest Hello video doorbell (£230). Or you could buy an Amazon Echo speaker (£80) and hook it up to a Hive Active thermostat (£180) and Smartap bathroom controller (from £149) so you can ask Alexa to turn on the heating and shower before you enter the bathroom. New products are coming along all the time, but compatibility is sometimes an issue, so check they will work with the system you’ve selected.
Katrina’s advice on an entry-level setup is to “start with lighting, heating and home security, as these tend to be the most beneficial categories in a smart home. There are enough products out there to see tangible results.” You don’t have to do it all at once, either. “You can add new elements as and when you’re ready, allowing you to get to grips with each product as you go,” she says.
Some package house builders have teamed up with technology companies to enhance your experience in the finished property: Weberhaus works with Apple Homekit, for example. Developers are following suit, seeing the added value that smart homes bring for buyers. Swedish firm Trivselhus made its Sommar Place development in Milton Keynes more intelligent thanks to Apple Homekit: the setup’s Homepod interactive speakers can control lighting, heating, window blinds, security, AV and domestic appliances.
Integrated systems
If you are self building or undertaking a substantial renovation, it could be a wasted opportunity to rely only on plug-and-play and Wifi-enabled products. If you’re wiring a home from scratch anyway, the benefits of an integrated system are compelling.
“The important thing is making sure the cabling is done in a way that allows you to be flexible. If everything is starwired back to a central position, that’ll give you the ability to do anything with the infrastructure in the future,” says Andy Mack, director of Cyberhomes. This configuration means every cable runs back to a central hub, which can control
features individually, from heating valves to ceiling lights. It can also group elements together – so, when you leave the house, a single button will talk to the control hub, which decides to turn down the thermostat, close the curtains and put the lights on security simulation mode.
Cabling a new house is relatively cheap: the cost of a smart home springs more from controllers, modules and hardware such as audio-visual equipment. So, install your infrastructure with expansion in mind. “If, for example, you’d like in-ceiling speakers but can’t afford it, pull in a cable now, mark on the drawings where it is, and at a later date you can cut a hole and the cable’s there ready for it,” says Andy Moss, managing director of Moss Technical.
Making savings
If the quote comes back and it’s outside of your budget, where can you do a bit of value engineering? “Think carefully about the key rooms,” says Cyberhomes’ Andy
Mack. “Do you really need full lighting and control in a secondary bedroom? Breaking it down so it doesn’t serve as many areas can have a big impact on costs.”
Andy Moss says that self builders sometimes decide just to service the ground floor, where there’s often a more concentrated need for smart tech (for example to integrate entry systems, lighting and blind controls, run underfloor heating systems or make the most of a media room).
Matt Nimmons, managing director of CEDIA EMEA, suggests examining what best fits your lifestyle. “If you love watching movies or sport but don’t get a chance to go out to the cinema or to live sporting events, a home entertainment setup is a great investment and will give you a huge amount of pleasure over a number of years,” he says. “If you travel a lot for work or relaxation, then having the ability to manage the house remotely and access its security features may be more important to you.”
Home technology specialists can be a little shy talking about costs in general terms because there are so many variables: “The only way to come up with a realistic budget is to get a design on the table and to understand the benefits of what it can do for you,” says Andy Moss.
If you want a general idea of what you might expect to get for your cash, see Matt Nimmons’ run-down in the suggested budgets box on the previous page.
Getting the installation right is vital to achieving good value for money – so be sure you’re getting the best service. For instance, Moss Technical is able to work with your electrician on the design and fit, or suggest its own installers who are highly experienced in the Niko solution it offers. Check out ongoing maintenance and servicing costs, too – these can be worth every penny, but it’s important to understand what you’re getting.