Lowering the Cost of High-End Home Automation
By: Nick Clipton
Lowering the Cost of High-End Home Automation
Recently a friend decided he simply had to have the latest home automation system for his new house in the Florida Keys. The price? $265,000 installed.
Granted, his home is 7,500 sq. ft. and the system included twelve rooms of audio, eight touch screens, and more security cameras than you’d find in the Oval Office; but this estimate was too much even for my friend’s considerably deep pockets.
Undeterred, he went online to shop for other options. His new quote? $80,000 for the same system including design and programming, but not installation. He then found a local security system installer who agreed to put the system in for $30,000. In the end, he spent $110,000 and saved a whopping $155,000, or 58%.
My friend’s story illustrates two current trends affecting the luxury home market. On the one hand, there is a growing appetite for digital “smart” home systems among tech-minded high-end home buyers, and on the other, an increasingly prohibitive dealer price tag for these systems.
But many resourceful homeowners like my are finding a way around this problem, thanks to a new breed of Do-It-Yourself home automation companies.
In the past, DIY home automation companies were limited to selling either very basic structured wiring systems which you could program and install yourself, or adaptive retrofit systems which were easy to install (i.e. they use plug-ins that work through the home’s existing electrical system) but did not provide either the options or performance of a true hardwired system.
But in the past year a new breed of Do-It-Yourself home automation company has emerged that caters to mid and high-end homeowners who want the reliability and performance of structured wiring, along with all the latest digital bells and whistles.
Typically these homeowners find their way to a DYI company website such as Mile High Automation after receiving the shell shock of a local dealer’s estimate. Such Do-It-Yourself companies offer sales, layout and programming of home automation systems but leave the installation up to you.
Before purchasing a system, you need an overview of the various components you are paying for. Most home automation dealers sell a complete package that includes everything from design to installation and future maintenance.
First, it is important to understand that you are buying more than the actual hardware, which is typically the least expensive component of the package. You are also purchasing a customized design which specifies the exact location of various components in your house and provides a wiring diagram for installation.
Next, you are paying for the programming of your system, tailored to your family’s specific needs and tastes. Then, as we saw from my friend’s experience, you are paying for installation. This is where there is the greatest area for savings; dealers typically charge 50% of the total package to install the system.
Lastly, you are purchasing peace of mind: a guarantee that your system will perform reliably and be adaptable to your changing needs in the future.
The homeowner who is game to install his own home automation system is poised to reap the highest savings. By ordering his system through a DIY company and supplying the installation muscle himself, he can save between 40%–60% overall. Even when he hires an electrician or low voltage cabling company to do the installation, there is still a net savings of 20%–40%.
The small new DIY home automation companies provide many of the benefits offered by the manufacturer’s dealers. They are professionally trained and certified, offer expert design and programming, and provide the full manufacturer’s warrantee on parts and their own warrantee on the performance of your programmed system. Further, most of the DIY companies provide guidance and tips on installation.
So how difficult is it to install a home automation system? If your home is already built, don’t attempt a project of this scale on your own. Your walls will thank you for hiring a professional. However, in new construction the installation is relatively simple; it involves pulling wire through the framing of your house, then later mounting touch screens, thermostats, cameras, switch plates and speakers in the walls. General handyman and wiring skills along with free time and a supply of patience are all you need to install a full home automation system.
If my well-heeled friend had tried to install his own mega-system, supposing he possessed the skills and patience, it would have taken him about two weeks to pre-wire and another two weeks to connect all the devices and get the system up and running. In average size installations pre-wiring is typically done in under a week and device installation in 3–5 days.
But since my friend possesses neither the skills nor the patience for such a project, he did the next best thing and found a local installer. There is still plenty of room for savings if you can find an electrician or low voltage contractor who is up for the challenge. The going rate for a systems integrator is anywhere from $75–$250 per hour. Most security and low voltage companies will work for $25–$50 per hour doing the same type of work. While only someone trained in systems integration can design and program your system, anyone can pull wire through studs.
The chart below illustrates the potential savings from using the two DIY options discussed above.
Size
of System
DIY
Install-It-Yourself
DIY
Local Installer
Dealer Package
Installed
Average
20,000
28,000
45,000
Deluxe
$40,000
52,000
90,000
Over the Top
$80,000
110,000
265,000
In the end, a homeowner must weigh his potential savings against the real cost — his peace of mind and willingness to roll up his sleeves and get involved. Clearly, the path of least headache is to go through a local dealer for a professionally installed system. You will not strain your marriage by drilling unnecessary holes through your walls or be worried about reliable service in the future. However, this convenience and peace of mind is expensive.
If you are willing to spend a bit of your own time and effort there is a lot of money to be saved. You can either perform the installation yourself with guidance from a DIY company or let your electrician and a DIY company team up.
My friend in Florida has never operated an electric drill and has no intention of learning, but he is thrilled to be saving so much money as a “do-it-yourselfer”. While the installation took a few days longer, the end result was the same as hiring a local dealer. When we last spoke he was lounging by the pool talking about how he could view who’s at the front door, turn off all the lights in the house, and fill the house with music without leaving his chair. He was in tech-heaven…
Article Source: http://www.ezarticles.info
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