How much does a home automation system cost?
Home Automation  – An investment in your lifestyleÂ
Making your home smart is becoming more and more popular. With the improvements in technology and the fall in cost, both new build and existing homes are being fitted with smart home automation technology. Having a home that works for you, and makes your day to day life easier and more enjoyable, is an increasingly attractive proposition. As such, we are often asked how much do home automation systems cost? Unfortunately the answer is always – it depends! This might not sound helpful but fortunately, with our experience, we are able to give you some guidelines.
How much did you spend on your kitchen?
It might seem like a rather strange question but there appears to be a link between how much your kitchen costs and how much you are likely to spend on a smart home! As with kitchens, a smart home system could range from the budget, off the shelf offerings through to a totally bespoke and custom system. A kitchen from your local DIY merchant could be bought for less than £5000 but for that price you won’t get granite worktops, multi function taps and an American style fridge freezer. Similarly, a cheaper smart home automation system might allow simple control of heating and lighting but might not allow the integration of music, security or TV.Â
As with kitchens, you need to define the functionality you want from your smart home and set a realistic budget. By talking to one of our experienced integrator’s, you can ensure that you get a system that meets your requirements but also stays within your budget.
What 3 things influence the cost of a smart home system?
Assuming that you are comparing the functionality and scope of your smart home like for like, these are the key factors that will influence the price:
- The size of your house – the more rooms you have the more expensive it will be. Obviously!
- Quality of the finish – you will have a great deal of choice between quality of light switches, speakers, CCTV cameras etc.Â
- The capability of your control system to be customised – as a rule of thumb, the more expensive systems will give you more options to have the system working exactly how you want it. Off the shelf options just don’t have the same capability to customise and integrate like professional systems.
What can I control?
Deciding on what features you want to automate will have a huge bearing on how much a system will cost. Do you want to just control lighting and heating in a couple of rooms or do you want to include a multi room audio system, blind control, CCTV and door access throughout the property? Integrating more features in to the automation system allows you do useful things like ‘putting your house to sleep’ at the touch of a button i.e. arm the alarm, lock the front door, turn off the speakers and the TV, turn off the lights and turn down the heating downstairs. Your system should be personal to you. Consider what functions you want to integrate as your smart home will only be limited by your imagination!
What can I get for my budget?
Okay, let’s talk money! Here is a guide to the smart home functionality you could achieve with specific budgets. These estimates are based on an average 4 bed detached home. Whatever that is! Remember, by talking to us you can create your own pick and mix home automation system!
- £800 – Control your heating and lighting in a large kitchen/diner
- £6000 – A simple smart home that controls your lighting and heating
- £10000 – £15000 As well as the lighting and heating control, add CCTV and door intercom to the package.
- £20000+ – Building on the above, you can now enjoy multi room audio around the house and the control of your blinds and curtains!
A breakdown of the costs involved
Now we know roughly what you can expect to spend and what functionality you will get for your money, here is where your money will go:
5% – Designing the system – We can’t stress enough how important it is to engage with a smart home professional before the project starts. It will make sure you get the best value for your investment.
55% – Hardware – This would include the controller, switches, sensors, speakers, cables etc.
35% – Installation and configuration – The quality of the installation and configuration of your smart home automation system, will be the main factor that decides whether it is successful. Please engage with a CEDIA registered company.Â
5% – Other costs
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