By Wayne A. Endicott
In fact, including electronics in the home package can attract buyers and increase profit margins. And the costs don't necessarily need to be prohibitive. A system can be nothing more complicated than special wiring to enable the buyer to set up his family room as a media room; that costs no more than a few hundred dollars. In other cases, the system can be as a multi-room audio system, a whole-house security system, or the ability to control the lights and comfort levels in virtually every room or the house–with price tags that increase with the levels of sophistication, of course.
The smart builder can tap into this craving for a space-age house. Installed technology is an easy add-on, no more difficult than plumbing or electric to install during the construction process. Furthermore, the cost can be included in the customer's mortgage. To sell these features, however, a builder needs to be able to discuss the options available with his customers intelligently—and convince them that these upgrades will pay for themselves in convenience and, in many cases, safety and increased efficiency.
Five major high-tech features
Basically, there are five areas to explore in home technology:
- Home entertainment systems can be as simple as installing cable TV jacks or as complicated as multi-room in-wall audio/visual systems.
- Communications encompasses telephone jacks, extensions throughout the house as well as internet connections used for voice over IP. Some Web phone services, such as Vonage, are using the Internet to take over formerly independent services. Builders should be thinking of such future (and present) technologies when they plan the wiring for the houses they build.
- Networking and the Internet get far more complicated and include such things as high-speed broadband Internet access, ethernet, fiber optics and satellite dishes. Most people still watch TV on their TV sets and receive programs from a cable or satellite company. This is likely to change as more people turn to the Internet for their television viewing, and their homes will need wiring that accommodates the necessary bandwidth.
- Home security involves alarm systems and security cameras. Included are such things as "nanny cams" and detection systems that can call the homeowner's cell phone if there is a security problem.
- Home comfort and convenience features range from multi-room lighting controls to a full energy-management system, which monitors the energy consumption of a home and appliances to maximize their operational efficiency.
Automating a house can accomplish a multitude of tasks, such as going online to turn down the lights or air conditioning or even turn on the lawn sprinklers. It can cover everything in the house that operates on electricity. If a person suddenly realizes that he left the lights on or the heat up too high when he left his house, he can send a message from his PC or PDA to remedy the problem remotely.
The structured wiring system involves a system of in-wall wire and cable that can be continuously reconfigured to provide updated services as they become available. It provides the ultimate gateway. Most home builders are now including structured wiring in their offerings. It is the first stepping stone towards being able to do everything electronically–to network a home, install multi-room audio and video, provide energy management systems and security. Structured wiring provides the means to tie everything together.
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