Houses today can be outfitted so that the owner can turn off the stove, receive text alerts when the doorbell rings, control the thermostat and time his washing machine’s next cycle from across the country.
Regardless of the system’s sophistication, the design requires proactive collaboration between the builder, homeowner and technology supplier, and some homeowners don’t think about automation systems until the house is already designed or underway.
“The biggest battle is that most builders don’t think about technology until it’s too late,” said Don Bendell, owner of Durango-based Louisa’s Electronics. “There is a lack of thought process, and no one puts it into their budget. Builders just use an electrician for the design aspect.”
The problem with that, Bendell said, is that an electrician will wire the house to standard, which may not accommodate the technology the homeowner wants to have. For example, owners of second homes in remote mountain locations often assume they’ll use Wi-Fi to sustain their technology without realizing that wired systems are faster and more dependable.
“These systems can be complicated if not well conceived,” said local architect Steve Eccher. He designs about 15 homes each year, including remodels and new construction. Most of his clients opt for systems that allow remote monitoring of one or two features, such as lighting and climate control.
Wiring a house on the front end, as opposed to after it’s built, can save a homeowner as much as 30 percent on installation.
“We have clients that could care less about any automation, and on the flipside, we’ll have someone who wants TVs in the bathroom mirrors and the ability to run the entire house from their iPhone when they’re in Austin, Texas,” said Emil Wanatka of Timberline Builders. Wanatka said all of his homes have some level of automation, with the most robust systems allowing the owner to control utilities, security and entertainment functions from afar. “You just have to plan ahead, develop a budget for it and think about how or why you justify the cost of the installation.”
Builders and tech companies estimate 1 to 3 percent of a homebuilder’s total construction budget should be allocated for technology. That means if a builder constructs a 2,000-square-foot house at a price of $150 per square foot, as much as $9,000 should be dedicated to technology.
The cost of automation technology itself has gone down drastically over the past 10 years and is no longer affordable exclusively to the rich.
When home automation began catching on in the 1990s, device manufacturers were selling products that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But the internet and growing interest in smartphones have made for better price points, and vendors are no longer exclusively working on million-dollar homes.
In 2005, basic control infrastructure, like a touchscreen, was a $6,000 investment, compared to around $750 today.
“I did my first automated house in 2005. It was $30,000 for climate control, video, security and no automated lighting features,” Bendell said. “Today, I could install the most robust system and then some. An intercom was $2,000 ten years ago. Now, it’s $400.”
Increasingly, homeowners are opting for integrated automation systems, which means multiple functions – a thermostat, audio systems, surveillance and security mechanisms – are under the control of a single device.
John Benner, owner of Durango Music & Electronics, said among his top sellers today is an integrated home security product by Honeywell called Total Connect. Simpler setups are around $2,000, while more robust installations can range from $15,000 to $20,000.
Bendell owns two residential units above Louisa’s Electronics at 2201 Main Ave. Both are outfitted with sensors that detect water leaks, doors that can be locked and unlocked virtually, and speakers synced with Pandora and local radio stations, all of which are controlled by a single touchscreen.
“Some people don’t budget for this because they don’t see the value on paper,” Bendell said. “But the technology gives your home eyes and ears.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
