SMART HOME DIY VS PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION

When it comes to home improvements, there are generally two ways to go about it. Either you hire a professional or you try your hand at some DIY. Some people are used to doing a lot of DIY around the home and when it comes to installing smart home devices from brands they may want to do this themselves for a sense of achievement or to try and save money.

In fact, for the odd smart device like a smart speaker, a CCTV camera or some lights, these can easily be done through DIY. Some smart devices like smart bulbs and smart plugs require next to no experience whatsoever.

However, we’re talking about a full transformation of the home and way of life rather than standalone devices. For this, every device or appliance will be connected to the smart home controller, strategically installed within the home. We’re here to explain why professional installation is better than DIY for a sophisticated and fully automated smart home.

WHY A PROFESSIONAL SMART HOME INSTALLATION IS BEST

For a full home transformation and for a seamless smart home experience for years to come, we recommend a professional installation vs DIY. There are a number of reasons why and most of these drill down to expertise and product knowledge.

MULTIPLE SKILLS INVOLVED

Building a smart home requires an extensive amount of knowledge and experience to pull off. It’s not simply a case of learning how to connect two devices together with wires or wirelessly. Some home projects require modifications to the house, such as installing speakers within the walls. In this example, you’d need to know how to replaster walls and test the speakers.

Some of the processes we set up require a lot of programming knowledge. This programming allows devices to communicate with each other and perform some of the amazing automated functions that would have attracted you to a smart home in the first place.

If you’re not 100% sure on how to do some of the tasks required, you’ll need to train yourself on how to do this effectively and it’s unlikely to be perfect on your first attempt. At Finite Solutions, we have a team of specialists, each with their own set of skills. They dedicate their time to specific aspects of the smart home installation process. Where DIY requires a jack of all trades, the professional approach promises a master of each one.

REDUCED FUNCTIONALITY

The problem with DIY installations is that the equipment is not always of the highest quality or used to its full potential. There are major differences between entry-level DIY products and professional systems. For example, there are many wireless cameras out there that can be set up to watch the home and provide peace of mind. However, in many cases, these basic cameras are just cameras. You can view what’s happening but they do not record or take any actions based on what the camera has detected. Professional systems can integrate the installed cameras with an intrusion and fire detection system and perform actions such as contacting the relevant authorities.

SAFETY

When installing a smart home, safety is of paramount importance. With electrical devices and potential building work, things need to be done correctly. You’ll need to be confident in electrical wiring and you’ll need to ensure everything is set up according to the relevant safety standards. It’s important that electrics are installed correctly and don’t present a danger to yourself, others or future owners of the home.

As a professional installer, however, you won’t need to worry about any of this because installers like ourselves have received extensive training and qualifications on how to perform all tasks safely.

COMPATIBILITY

If you’re looking at installing devices yourself through DIY, you’ll need to extensively research which products are compatible with others. Every product you choose for your home has to connect with the smart home hub and potentially with other devices on the network. From the wireless communication protocols to the type of LED light bulb, it can sometimes take just one incompatible device to shut down the entire smart home ecosystem.

At Finite Solutions, we’re product experts and we know from over 15 years of experience which brands work well together and also which ones to use for your unique projects.

TIME

Making a home a smart home can take a lot of time and effort. Even with a team of people, installing a full home automation system can take weeks or even months depending on the project. With the DIY approach, it could take a lot longer. Not only for the time it takes one person to do a team’s job but the time you need to invest first in learning how to do everything. As a result of a longer timescale, you may find that certain areas of the home are unlivable for periods of time. You would certainly need a lot of patience, especially if there are things you need to troubleshoot during installation.

AFTERCARE

Although you don’t have to pay for the installation with a DIY smart home, costs could escalate if you have to patch up mistakes or don’t know the products you’re buying. Years down the line, you may also run into issues that need repair and by this point, you’ll likely have forgotten everything you learnt during the initial installation. A professional smart home installation not only gives you a fixed cost for the project, allowing you to stay within budget, but it also grants you access to aftercare services which can be useful for any issues that occur.

Finite Solutions’ aftercare service looks beyond fixing things that go wrong. We’re also present when software or firmware updates are needed to keep the smart home system running smoothly. This is how smart homes maintain their effectiveness over the lifetime of the home. We’re also able to offer on-site system health checks, meaning we’ll visit the home by appointment and proactively look to maintain equipment, be that through cleaning or checking system functionality. We can even offer expert remote support, allowing you to quickly resolve any issues.

With a DIY approach, you’ll either have to maintain the home yourself or regularly hire an external contractor to look at your home system. If we have installed the system ourselves, we’ll know all about the products used and how things are interconnected, meaning a quicker resolution is possible.