Dreaming of building a house and you could visualise yourself turning the lights off, and the sound up, from the couch? Or letting your mates in the front door while you are out the back? If that is appealing, then installing a smart home technology or home automation system could be for you.
Over the last couple of years’, smart home technology has gained speed with people building a new home. It used to be about big screens and flashy sound systems, but now it’s all about convenience.
Some of the most popular smart home technology or home automation solutions are small and easy to use. Whether you’re controlling your home, or streamlining your lifestyle, home automation can make day-to- day tasks more straightforward – so you can spend more time on things that really matter.
So what are the current trends in home automation that you could consider when building your new home?
Smart appliances
Smart appliances include lights, audio, entertainment, climate control and more. Building a house with smart appliances can dramatically alter the look and feel of any room with the push of a button. But control should be intuitive. With a friendly interface, touch screens are likely to solve this problem. They are becoming even more popular and include more options to customise your control so something to think about if you are building a house.
The rise of automated smart dishwashers, fridges and floor cleaners is also on the cards with each of these products boasting additional control features, such as the ability to monitor and collect data as well as making automated decisions based on past experiences and programs.
Entertainment systems
Home is about sharing experiences with friends and family, and thanks to automation it’s never been so easy to connect. Say goodbye to wiring and cables and hello to portable fun by ridding yourself of cumbersome CDs and DVDs once and for all. Instead of wasting your downtime trying to find your favourite song on a CD or movie on a DVD, entertainment systems where you can store your whole database of CDs and DVDs online are available. You can then stream media from your online libraries, letting you watch or hear what you want, where you want.
Thanks to automation you will also be able to program your entertainment system (including your Blu-ray, video game console, etc) to go on mute or pause if the doorbell rings or if loud music starts playing from another area of the house.
Applications
Instead of waiting to control a system or product when you’re right in front of it on wall controller, adopt applications that give you control at your convenience.
Smart lighting means you can use an app on your smartphone or tablet to adjust lighting to suit your specific needs, even when you are on the go. You can even control individual lights, groups of lights or groups of groups with applications such as Clipsal SILC.
Smart applications also mean it’s easier than ever to reduce your carbon footprint whether you’re at home or on holiday. By providing information about how much energy you’re using. Smart home technology makes it easy to make real-time changes to your consumption.
For example, the Wiser Link energy monitoring system acts like your very own home energy coach, highlighting for you which family member is using the most energy! It also has the ability to send notifications and alerts when you’ve reached or exceeded your monthly energy targets, or suffered a power loss – so you can say goodbye to nasty surprises.
Motion sensors and switches
If you are building a house, having a smart home doesn’t necessarily mean a complete revamp of your home electrical. Most people building a new home don’t realise that it can be as easy as installing motion sensors, sunset switches, timers or dimmers. These automated products provide precise control over everyday electrical items, without any additional input.
Automatic sensors and switches, especially in outdoor areas where it can be difficult to find a physical switch are becoming increasingly popular for obvious reasons.
Integration and scalability
With more and more connected devices within the home, many of which are likely to be competing products and systems, integration and scalability is a big focus.
Bringing all these devices into the one interface will make your life a lot easier. Look for systems that can offer connections between individual devices, or that offer an all-in- one solution. One example is PUSH Controls which can be used as a single interface to control climate, blinds and energy management, plus much more.
The integration of all your home automation systems means that your control system can become your living room lifestyle partner that will synchronise and simplify your home living with one button!
Weatherproof everything
Technology is not only getting smarter but more resistant too. Ever wanted to listen to music in the shower or watch TV from the pool? Well now you will be able to with a more accessible range of outdoor, waterproof technology which offers a solution for every lifestyle and space.
When you are building a house, materials like aluminium grilles will also be worth considering in the year to come as they provide greater resistance from steam and moisture, meaning you can have access to your favourite tunes even when entertaining outdoors. If you are doing a new build, or renovating your outdoor area, consider access to power too. Having an outdoor power outlet can be a lifesaver when you are planning some outdoor entertainment!
Let us do the legwork for you.
- We’ll ask the right questions to better understand your needs
- We’ll create a recommended shortlist ideally matched to you
- We’ll answer specific questions or concerns related to home building, land purchasing or financing
Zoe Langenberg
Zoe is passionate about coffee and interior design. You can find her most weekends exploring an art gallery or devouring a good book.
1800 184 284
