What is possible, practical and cost-effective depends on the type of property, its age and its current infrastructure. Here is an honest guide to each.
A new build is the ideal environment for smart home automation. Walls are open, infrastructure can be planned from the start and every system can be concealed properly. Cabling can be run for lighting circuits, speakers, networking and access control before walls are closed — at a fraction of the cost of retrofitting later.
The most important thing is early involvement. The earlier we are consulted, the more that is possible and the less it costs. Decisions made at first-fix stage determine what is achievable at second-fix, commissioning and beyond.
Discuss your new buildRetrofitting a smart home into an existing occupied property is the most common scenario we work in. The right approach depends on the construction, the existing wiring and how much disruption is acceptable. Many of the most effective systems require no additional cabling at all.
Our Coventry demonstration home is itself a retrofit. It shows that a highly integrated, fully functional smart home is achievable in an existing property — the result feels no different from a new installation.
See the Demo HomeApartments present specific constraints — shared infrastructure, limited access to walls and ceilings, and lease restrictions on what can be modified. Despite these, a coherent and genuinely useful smart home is achievable in most apartments, focusing on systems that work within existing infrastructure.
We assess each apartment individually. The key question is what the lease and building management permit, and what the existing electrical and network infrastructure supports.
Discuss your apartmentListed buildings and period properties require a careful approach. Planning and listed building consent may be required for any work affecting the fabric of the building. Wireless systems are often the preferred solution, avoiding the need to conceal cabling in historic walls and structures.
We work with the property rather than against it. Many clients are surprised by how much is achievable in a period home without any visible modification to the building.
Discuss your propertyA major renovation offers most of the advantages of a new build in terms of what is achievable for smart home integration. When walls are open and trades are on site, the cost and disruption of adding smart home infrastructure is significantly lower than retrofitting afterwards.
Early involvement — ideally before electrical first-fix — allows cabling, speakers, access points and control positions to be incorporated cleanly into the renovation programme.
Get involved early