Building a home is about achieving a balance of what you want and need right now, and in the future. Home Assistants, Nest Thermostats, wireless video doorbells, WiFi extenders, smart light bulbs, multi-room streaming audio systems?these devices can add the luxury and convenience of technology to your home. Best of all, some of them can offer cost savings, too.
Wiring for Today & Tomorrow
Speed is crucial for today?s wired home. If you?re in an area where fiber isn?t currently available, plan for what the future holds! Have your home wired with Coax and CAT 6 cable, known as ?Dual CAT 6.? It provides coax cable wiring for your current situation and will be ready to go when your area changes over to fiber, too. This way, your home is ready for fiber from day one, with no rewiring costs. Fiber is the most future proof way to receive internet.
With the popularity of home theatres, streaming movies and music in outdoor living areas, or the master bathroom (yes, this is a thing!) any conversation about ?smart features? should also include smart planning. Consider this: when you build a home, you have an idea of which room will hold the main TV, which rooms you?d like speakers in, and where in your home you?ll set up your computer. The smart homebuilder wires to accommodate those current needs?and anticipates what you may want in the future. So if you ever decide to convert that bonus room or ?extra storage? area into a mini-home theater, you?ll be ready. Your building and wiring team can pre-wire the home in anticipation of that or any other possibility, making room-repurposing in the future a breeze.
Smart Watering Systems
When it comes to the perfect lawn and landscape, it?s all about control. Where and when you water are crucial. A smart irrigation system can make all the difference?in your landscape?s beauty and in cost. Your lawn and landscape can be full of different plants with different watering needs. Most basic sprinkler systems are not set up to account for that?or for weather (why run the sprinklers after a heavy rain?). Irrigation systems such as Rain Bird are designed to keep all your plants watered at optimum levels and operate efficiently no matter the conditions. The good news is, in many cases, there are add ons that can help an existing sprinkler system work ?smarter.? If you already have an automatic in-ground sprinkler system, adaptive equipment like Rachio controllers can audit and optimize how you water. With an integrated app for your smart devices, users can ?set and forget? their sprinkler systems or have full control. Save water, money and worry while keeping your lawn and landscaping healthy.
More about smart watering from Rain Bird and Rachio ?
Ready, set, Charge! Creating an EV-ready Garage
If you don?t have an electric vehicle yet, there?s a good chance you will in the future. But having an ideal set up for owning an EV take preparation. Getting your garage EV-ready in advance can save you hassle down the road.
If you own an EV, upfitting your existing home to accommodate charging is pretty much a necessity. And when you?re building a new home, there are many great ways to get ahead of the EV-ready curve?whether you have an electric vehicle now or in the future. Addressing electrical capacity and pre-wiring during design and construction makes future installation of EV charging stations much easier. Or you may choose to outfit your new construction home with EV charging to potentially increase its appeal to future buyers. Many states and municipalities around the USA either have already or are in the process of developing their own EV-ready building codes to accommodate current and anticipated EV use.
Easier EV, at a Glance:
? Put an extra 240-volt outlet in your garage.
? Leave room for a Level 2 Charger in your electrical panel.
? Hardwire a Level 2 charger into your panel. A hardwired Level 2 charger is the fastest way to charge your EV.
?An EV-ready home provides consumers with safe access to a dedicated 240V power supply for the faster Level 2 EV charging. Pre-wiring new homes for EV charging during construction can save a homeowner hundreds of dollars later. By pre-wiring, builders can offer a future-proof product.? ? ?Building Electric Vehicle Ready Homes? ~ EnergyStar.gov Read More ?
With so many ?smart features? available, the smart homeowner can outfit their homes for incredible convenience, for both recreation and necessity. With hundreds of products out there and more innovations happening every day, it?s a great time to put smart features to work for you!