The trend for home automation has become increasingly more popular, and is something that home builders need to begin using regularly. Should home automation products be included at the time that the home is built?
This way they would be ready to go for the homeowner once they move in. This would, after all, make it easier for the homeowner and they wouldn’t have to acquire those products once they were in the home and have them installed…Right?
But what factors should the home builder consider when thinking about doing so? There are a wide variety of home automation products out there, after all. How can a home builder know which ones are credible and which ones the homeowner is going to want and need?
As a home builder, have you considered including home automation products as part of your offerings? How much time have you spent researching and agonizing over whether or not you should move forward with those plans?
Here are some things that you should take into consideration before you move forward and go ahead with installing home automation products in a new home.
Ease of use of the products you are considering installing
How high is the learning curve on what you are thinking about putting in? Not all home buyers are tech savvy. Is it going to be very difficult for the home owner to learn to use the automation products that you are considering installing in the home?
After all, just because you’re building a custom home, does not mean that the buyer that is lined up will necessarily be who ultimately ends up living in that home. What happens if the buyer falls through and a different homeowner or renter ends up living in the home who does not understand the technology? Will it be very difficult for them to learn how to use the products?
The more difficult products are better left to the discretion of the occupant to add at a later date. Stick with simple, easy to use products in the beginning.
Availability of iOS and Android apps for integration
Is there a home automation app available on both operating systems for them to be able to integrate the automation products and use them simply and efficiently? If the product you are considering installing is only available on one operating system, and the homeowner ends up having the other, the product will be of no use to the home owner in the long run.
Stick with products that are well known and available across multiple platforms so that potential homeowners or home buyers can test out the apps and have access to it regardless of what type of smart phone or home automation integration devices they have.
Don’t Install Something Just because it is “On Trend”
If you install something that is cool or popular or on trend, the homeowner is likely to show it off for a while, and then never use it. Stick with products that are useful and practical and likely to be used time and time again. Some popular examples might be smart locks and automated blinds or curtains. These are not only cool and interesting, but they are practical products that will be useful regardless of what is popular at the time.
There’s Still Time To Rise Above Your Competitors
The bottom line, of course, is that home automation products are intended to make a homeowner’s life easier. If the products are clunky, hard to learn how to use and make things harder for them, then they are a hindrance rather than a help.
Seek out products that are useful, easy to use and practical. Think about what you wish you had in your own home. What would make things easier for you and would be helpful.
Do you ever think about what you would do if you lost your keys? This is where the smart lock products come in handy. And there are a variety of popular brands that have apps available on both iOS and Android that will be easy to use with a very simple learning curve for even the most tech-averse people. And they still allow for the use of a key while getting used to the system. Even better, some home automation companies condense everything from ONE app!
Ever been at the other end of the room and realized, oh man, I forgot to close the blinds. Now I have to get up and go across the room and close them. Well, with automated blinds, that’s yesterday’s news!
The bottom line of course is to keep it simple and make it practical, and your buyers will thank you in the long run. You can still make it fun and interesting without going overboard. And you can still take advantage of this cutting edge technology ahead of the game and blaze past the competition.
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