Find A Home: Home Technology

Homes get smarter as buyers want more.

By Beth Raebeck Hall TENNESSEAN CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS

The world of home tech has broken through barriers that once limited integrated technology products to commercial applications. Today, you can control everything from the temperature and lighting to the television set — all while you recline in a chair hundreds of miles away.

No longer limited to security systems, advancements in products and systems now allow homeowners to control their security, lighting, audio, video and HVAC from one control panel. Not only can you integrate all of these systems, you may also access them from remote locations. Some brands provide text-messaging notifications to owners via their cell phones.

 Chris O’Neal, sales manager for Fox Ridge Homes says buyers appear to be most interested in security systems and surround-sound speakers throughout the house, despite the downturn in the economy.

“I would say about 50 percent of our buyers want security systems. We’ve seen a slight decline, but you’d be surprised how many people want them,” he says.

Even if home buyers cannot install a home technology system immediately, many have their homes pre-wired to accommodate later additions of such systems.

“When people are buying a home, we encourage them to think about what they might want down the road, even if they don’t put it in now,” says O’Neal. “Pre-wiring can save a lot of money. When they want to upgrade to a security system or add other things, then the wiring is in place.”

At ACE Alarms and Ace Technologies, president Tom Lundborg Jr. sees a trend toward closed-circuit television cameras.

“Technology is a lot better and cheaper. Today you can have remote access to the system through your phone and computer,” Lundborg says.

Digital closed-circuit TV equipment can provide homeowners with instant alerts. For example, if you want to know when your child arrives home, the system will send you a text message. CCTV equipment can be used in both internal and external environments.

Lundborg says home control is more affordable than you’d expect. A basic package for this type of security runs around $500. If you want all of your systems connected, installation is about $200 more.

How does home automation work? Lundborg’s most popular item is a product called Control 4 Smart Home Automation Systems. This system provides centralized control over your lighting, sound system, home theater, HVAC and security systems.

According to Lundborg, Internet-protocol-based products are available from your Internet provider to plug into a router.

“They integrate your existing technology into one complete system by tying into a structured wiring system and run from a central point in your home,” Lundborg says.

 The system can be wired or wireless. According to Lundborg, owners program a touch-screen control panel with the settings for each function on the system. A controller unifies all household remotes, allowing them to work off the same system.

Homeowners may add rooms and functions later, allowing for expansion over time. In addition to big household systems, other items that may be added include motion sensors and dimmers, closet lights, home intercom systems, telephone systems, ceiling fans, fireplaces, pool and sprinkler controls, garage doors and lights, and driveway vehicle alerts. You also can manage playlists and control music volume in each room.

 At very high price points, integration between security, lighting, HVAC, audio and video systems is pretty standard says Charles Dyck, co-owner of Hi-Tech Innovations.

“Often our customers want to be able to control their home theaters and access their system through their iPhone,” he says. “Touch panels and remotes provide these owners with the access they desire.”

If you’d like your household lights to come on slowly at the end of the day or would like to be awakened by your favorite music (that gets louder if you don’t get up), then you’re an ideal candidate for home automation. And with technology advancing and prices dropping, it’s likely that many more “smart” homes will be on your block in the near future.