A premium home-automation system – also known as a smart-home system – allows you to control multiple functions in the home, such as lighting, heating and cooling, audio, security, door locks and even kitchen appliances – from a single device, be it a touch-screen remote control or an app on your phone or tablet, from wherever you are in the world. Home automation is all about convenience. Having the ability to control core elements in your home remotely, such as lighting, heating, entertainment and front-door access, can save time and make life run more smoothly.

What Sort Of Things Can A Home-Automation System Do?

• Give you remote access to door locks so you can control who has access to your home when you’re not there.

• Switch lights on and off remotely or connect them to a timer or sensors, so they go on automatically (also great for security when you’re not home).

• Control heating or cooling so you can come home to a warm interior in winter or a cool one in summer.

• Give you remote access to alarms and surveillance systems; you will be notified if anyone approaches your home and can see who is at your front door. You can also switch surveillance on and off remotely.

• Change the television channel or switch the set on or off via voice command.

• Set your coffee machine to turn on automatically in the morning (it will even brew you a cup before you get out of bed).

• Automate your pool cleaning, with the ability to adjust settings from your smart device while you’re not at home.

For even greater convenience, you can pre-determine the settings on your automated system for lighting, heating and entertainment to suit different situations. For example, you could set the system to control various elements simultaneously, so that when you go to bed it turns off all the inside lights, switches on the security camera at the front door, adjusts the kids’ night lights, and switches off the heater – all with one swipe of your smart-screen remote or an app on your phone.

Can Automation Cut My Energy Bills?

Absolutely. Here’s how:

• Accidentally left your lights on when you left the house? With home automation, you can switch lights off from wherever you are.

• Connecting blinds to a sensor-controlled system means they’ll close automatically when the temperature reaches a certain point, keeping your home cooler and reducing air-conditioning costs. You can also keep your home naturally cooler by setting up an automated shading system for overhead or exterior window shades.

• No more overheating your home unnecessarily; by installing a smart thermostat, your heating will switch off automatically when the temperature reaches a certain level.

How Is A Home-Automation System Different To A Smart-Home Assistant?

Devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo are great for convenience. They can perform simple tasks by using voice recognition, such as checking the weather, reading out the day’s headlines or performing Google searches. A premium home-automation system is far more sophisticated. It allows you to automate several different devices through one simple-to-use interface or an app on your phone. So, instead of having five different remote controls to manage your various devices, you just have the one platform, which can be controlled by voice or touch.

What Should You Expect To Pay?

This depends on the level of automation you want. For audio/visual controls such as the television you can expect it to start around $3,500. This includes the processor and touch screen remote control. Incorporating lighting and shading solutions would see the cost jump to around $10,000 depending on the size of the space. A fully connected smart-home system starts from around $25,000, depending on the size of the property.

Can I Retrofit An Automated System?

It’s best incorporated during the building phase. However, it’s certainly possible to install after the build. Here at Hurst Homes we completely customize each build and design so that no two homes are the same. It also makes each home as individual as its owners and catered to their lifestyle. Why not ask us about your home automation options and get it quoted along with your dream home. Its our quality, attention to detail and inclusions that have helped us retain our reputation as Wagga’s Best Builder. Contact us today to get started on your custom Wagga House & Land Package.

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