When visiting Connecticut, it’s hard not to notice the beautiful homes. Areas like Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan and Westport all boast their own taste of elegance with excellent neighborhoods and luxury estates. If you’re involved in Real Estate, whether an architect, builder, investor or broker, how are you going to make your Connecticut luxury home the most desirable in market?
For homeowners, smart home automation is no longer just ‘nice to have,’ it’s a necessity. Statista reports that by the year 2022, more than 56% of homes will be installed with smart home technology. This will contribute to higher selling prices and faster sales for smart homes, while not-so-smart homes will take a backseat on the market.
Don’t let your Connecticut luxury home fall behind. Here are the five must-have smart home features.
Feature #1: Home Theaters Systems
Homebuilders and architects, don’t let that basement go to waste. Set your New England home apart by adding a high-end space, such as a home theater, to increase home value.
All types of homebuyers can enjoy this feature. Families love it because it makes their children stay home instead of going out. Sports fans feel like they’re in the front row at any game. Movie buffs can get the full theater effect without the hassle of going to the movies.
They call it a home ‘theater’ for a reason. With a large projection screen or large-screen TV and surround sound audio system, it’s a theater of your own. And, that’s precisely why homebuyers love it: personalization to make it the perfect fit for relaxation. Smart home theater features include room sound-proofing, shading and drape automation and high-end speakers for movie theater-quality sound.
A home theater system can take any Connecticut luxury home up a notch. If you don’t have a re-finished basement to make this addition, any small room will do. You do not need more than 200 square feet to create a home theater.
This is a great area to demo home automation: lower the dimmed lighting, show off a truly-smart thermostat and crank the surround sound system. Who could say “no?”
Feature #2: A Cooling System that Beats the Heat
With a sticky and humid summer behind us, we New Englanders know the importance of maintaining a cool and comfortable home.
Aside from comfort, buyers also want a home that is energy-efficient, reduces carbon footprints and doesn’t generate sky-high electric bills.
Is it even possible to have all three?
It is. By installing smart climate control, homeowners can expect to save up to 15% on their home cooling and heating costs. This will help offset the electricity costs that accrue when living in large luxury homes.
With features like a smart thermostat, shading solutions, and fan automation, your Connecticut homebuyer will be ready for summer.
Feature #3: Voice Control
Voice control for your home does not mean asking Alexa to turn on the music or answer a simple question. Voice control gives your homeowner the power to control their home’s lights, thermostats and other connected appliances without lifting a finger.
Unlike smart devices like Alexa and Echo, smart home systems are already synced to appliances like your cameras, locks and alarms. This makes it a perfect fit for a luxury home with security in mind.
Homebuyers will fall in love with this feature for its convenience. Never wonder if you forgot to turn off the coffee pot. Simply ask the smart home to turn it off (or program it to shut off automatically). This will take any Connecticut luxury home to the next level.
Feature #4: Smart Home Security System
Throw away your home’s lock and key. With a smart home security system, you won’t need them!
For luxury homebuyers, security is critical. The Inman study found that of technology preferences surveyed, 57% of buyers said that security technology is the most important technology preference for their home.
There are many situations where having a keyless, automated home will come in handy for your homebuyer. Whether the owners are away on vacation or working late, they can let in their gardener, dog walker, family member, etc. Owners can open doors remotely and lock it when they leave. This leaves homeowners with a secure peace of mind that their house is always safe.
Are your clients the busy type and often away on travel? There’s a smart home security feature that’s perfect for their lifestyle: programmed automation. While away, homeowners can program lights, televisions and music to turn on and off at certain times. This will ward off any burglar. Have you seen Home Alone lately? This is one trick Kevin McCallister would appreciate!
Feature #5: Smart Home Outdoor Entertainment
Home automation is not limited to the indoors. Outdoor spaces are an extension of the home and should be designed as such. Adding an outdoor home automation system to a luxury home finishes it off and adds an extra selling point.
Aesthetically, outdoor smart systems are seamless. They are designed to blend in with the home’s landscaping, so there are no exposed wires or subwoofers to worry about.
For luxury homeowners, it also adds another element of convenience and ease: sprinkler systems, outdoor lighting, hot tubs and fireplaces all come ‘smart.’
If entertainment is on your mind, then they will love the smart home outdoor system. This makes any outdoor patio go from ‘oh, that’s nice’ to ‘Whoa!’
Is Your Connecticut Luxury Home Ready for Home Automation?
All of the mentioned smart home features can be controlled from halfway around the world. If your Connecticut homebuyer is a jet-setter or always on the go for work, they’ll love how fully capable they are to using home automation. This is all possible through the Control4 App, which is made for any iOS or Android mobile device.
Having a mobile app that controls your home from anywhere in the world doesn’t not only makes life easier – it keeps life safer.
Trends come and go, but smart home automation is here to stay. With more features being added through Artificial Intelligence and IoT, we can only expect more amazing automation features to emerge.
If you’re ready to learn more about full home automation systems, and what they mean to your business or clients, contact us here at Lifetronic.
