What are the frequently asked questions you receive regarding smart home automation systems?

As Smart home consultants, many of our clients are considering their first major smart system and the first step in the process is to demonstrate the art of the possible and what can be achieved along with the differences in performance and cost between various systems followed by discussion on which of the options will provide the most value and benefit to the property and homeowners family. During our initial consultations we are often asked about cost i.e. how much will a smart home system cost or how much will a cinema room cost. Whilst completely understandable questions they are very difficult to answer with any accuracy until we understand the scale of the property, the number of people living there and the scope of what to be achieved as just like buying a new car you can purchase something with 4 wheels and 5 seats for £ 10,000 or £ 100,000 and the difference in the cost is down to the quality of design and finish, reliability, handling and performance.

As many clients have yet to assign a budget to this element of their project we provide 3 system options for every project we quote on so our clients can clearly see the cost, coverage and pro’s and cons of a primary system we recommend to suit their needs as well alternative systems which will either reduce the cost, quality and features available or increase the cost but deliver even better performance and functionality. To give ballpark estimates on cost we will typically suggest the below cost ranges that will cover most client’s
needs using a 5 bedroom 4,000 square foot home as an example:

• Cabling, Central Equipment Racking and infrastructure = £ 3,000 – £ 10,000+
• Full house 4k ultra HD Multi-room Audio Visual System = £ 12,000 – £ 50,000+
• Full house home network and WiFi = £ 2,500 – £ 5,000
• Full house smart lighting system = £ 10,000 – £ 20,000+
• Smart Home Control System = £ 3,000 – £ 15,000+
• CCTV, gate entry, internal and external alarm system = £ 6,000 – £ 20,000+
• Media room Equipment = £ 8,000 – £ 100,000+
• Dedicated cinema room Equipment = £ 10,000 – £ 250,000+
• Cinema room fit out (seats, acoustics, wall upholstery etc –Turnkey solution) = £ 10,000 – £ 70,000+

Clients are also always keen to know long and installation will take and the work involved in getting it right, how to ensure the system will be reliable on completion, how a smart home system installation process works and how it links with their other trades and design team, How to avoid any duplication of cost against the cost provided by their builder or electrical contractor, how much maintenance a system will require and how long product and installation warranties are.