When buying or remodeling a home, it’s difficult to nail down the exact cost of the project. Costs for an integrated home system can vary widely depending on the size of your home and the type of integrated technology desired. A builder, architect, and interior designer can quickly ballpark what a pool, a kitchen, or an electrical contract will cost, but when it comes to technology, they are often lost for words since there are so many variables involved. Let’s explore.
A good rule of thumb for budgeting your home technology system is to take 4 – 8% of your home’s value. This does not include lighting control, motorized shades, and Home Theater systems. For a lighting control system, budget between $4 – $7 per square foot if you are controlling most of the home’s interior and exterior. The upper range is for a hardwired system, which provides the highest reliability. The lower range of the price scale includes wireless lighting solutions. For Home Theater systems, your budget can be anywhere between $10K and $1M (or more) depending on your desired level of performance.
Divide Technology Systems Into Groups
- Whole Home Music
- TV Distribution
- Home Theater & Media Rooms
- Home Automation/ Smart Controls
- Security Cameras
- Alarms
- Network
- Lighting Control
- Access Control
Make Your Home’s Network a Priority
Your home’s network is the foundation of much of your activity. By investing in an enterprise-grade network for your home, you can be best equipped to prevent outages and connected device issues. We recommend using only Cisco and Ruckus enterprise-level products. These systems and others are typically business-grade products that have a higher level of security, speed, and reliability than inexpensive office supply store devices.
Communicate and Listen
Keep an open mind when listening to suggestions from an experienced technology professional, though be very clear on what is important to you. Define your needs as specifically as possible so we can assemble the right systems for your price, performance, aesthetic, and reliability needs. Ask a lot of questions. Make sure you understand why we are making the recommendations that we are.
Have Questions?
These are just a few tips to consider when deciding how much to spend on your home’s technology system needs. If you have questions or are interested in a formal quote, please feel free to contact us by clicking the link below.
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