Home automation is becoming more popular every day. Among the motivating factors is improvement in technology. Owning a home that works for you makes your everyday life easier and more enjoyable. Smart homes were once allegedly a technology for the distant future. However, this is now a reality. Nowadays, home buyers are more interested in buying smart homes.
However, you can also upgrade your typical home to a smart one. You can invest in some home automation technologies. Several of these systems are available today. One can install one or several systems in a single home.
Furthermore, these automated home systems are energy-efficient, safe, comfortable, and easy to use. A homeowner can decide to automate their whole property or just specific places and functions. This can determine how much they will spend on the project.
However, if you want full home automation, the cost depends on the type you need since several devices exist. Moreover, compatibility with the existing devices also affects the cost incurred when installing the automation systems. One can also upgrade the existing systems with the latest technology.
Some features to automate in a home include lighting, locks, and security systems. Others are entertainment systems, HVAC, and thermostats. Depending on the goal, you can automate your home with as low as £200, as high as £15,000, and even more.
What’s the Cost of Home Automation in 2022?
The cost of automating your home differs depending on the size of the property and what you want automated. Generally, the high cost for this project is around £15,000 or more to automate all the rooms in a home completely. These include lights, locks, appliances, and thermostats. Others are an irrigation system, four smart speakers, a hub, etc. Remember, going for more improved systems and appliances will cost more.
Also, your home wiring system will affect the cost of fixing a smart system. In some cases, the wiring needs to be updated to suit the electrical specifications of the home automation devices. Usually, a professional technician to do the installation will charge an average of £85 per hour. If you’re looking to renovate your house, you can also check out the house extension costs and services on Bark.
Smart home installation can cost between £200 and £15000. The average cost range is £1500 – £6000.
| Type of home automation | Low cost | High cost | Average cost |
| An average smart home has intercom controls and extra door access | £8,000 | £15,000 | £11,500 |
| Lighting and heating controls in a single room | £400 | £800 | £600 |
| Advanced or customized smart home having a multi-room sound system for larger homes | £20,000 | £150,000 | £85,000 |
| Simple automation system having lighting, security, and heating controls | £5,000 | £15,000 | £10,000 |
Other Home Automation Costs
The cost of compatible devices for communication via the automation system ranges from £20 to £200.
An automation starter kit with deadbolt or light controls is available from £40 to £500.
Controllers which help in automation plus remote controls cost around £130 to £1800.
Wireless protocols for linking different automation systems like Wi-Fi, Z-wave, Ethernet, ZigBee, X10, etc. cost about £300 – £650.
Furthermore, the automation system needs maintenance. The cost ranges from £35 to £75 a month. In addition, you have to pay a home automation activation fee. The fee ranges from £200 to £500; however, it is a one-time cost. Cloud automation will cost about £180 to £300.
Working with a hardwired automation system instead of wireless systems, which requires just a plug-in, will cost around £3000 to £17000. Hardwired automation systems are preferred since they are part of the home permanently and are more reliable than plug-in systems.
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What Affects the Cost of Home Automation?
Numerous factors affect the total cost incurred in installing a home automation system.
- Property size
This is one of the main factors affecting the total cost of automating your home. It is cheaper and faster to automate a two-bedroom apartment than a five-bedroom mansion.
- Complexity
The complexity of the automation system is another factor that determines the cost. For instance, when you need to automate lights inside your home, you can use a few smart bulbs, which cost about £200. Some homeowners will need a high-end custom system with an integrator. These systems cost £50,000. Moreover, with this, one can easily automate lights, gates, heating, blinds/window treatments, swimming pool, A/V, etc.
- Finish
The finish level also determines the cost of automating your home. With the DIY option, you will have a few finishing options. However, you have more options to explore with a high-end automation system. Several brands ensure their system matches different interior styles. Moreover, you can work with your interior designer to ensure that the installation is strategically placed and isn’t obtrusive.
- Size/Quantity
For adequate security, you need to install as many cameras as required for your home. The price of a camera ranges from £30 to £350 depending on brand and quality. However, many manufacturers and retailers sell in bundles, making the installation process a bit cheaper.
- Additional Features
Extra features incorporated into devices also determine their cost. For instance, near-field communications are a fancy feature that synchronises home automation systems. They are small chips that enable one to link to automated systems for entertainment available in the household from a smartphone. This makes managing a smart home simple and affordable since the chip costs around £0.05 to £0.25 per chip.
- Quality
Higher quality and waterproof home automation devices are likely to cost more. These appliances offer a longer-lasting automation service; hence they are worth the price.
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Cost of Automating Your Home by Area
There are numerous ways you can automate their home. You can automate various features, including lighting the living room, kitchen, or both. Moreover, you can slowly add smart appliances over time.
Smart Kitchen Cost
The kitchen is among the most used room in the house. Thus, this is the room where one will greatly benefit from home automation. A smart kitchen must include smart lighting, plugs, and a speaker. However, the cost of a fully automated kitchen, with smart appliances, ranges from £6,000 to £16,000.
Also, these appliances can be voice-activated, remote-controlled, and programmable. The cost of a smart microwave ranges from £400 to £1,500. This has a barcode reader, moisture sensors, Wi-Fi connectivity, and voice controls. A smart dishwasher costs between £900 to £1,200 and is voice-controlled. A smart range hood costs between £900 and £2,000. You can also get a smart refrigerator for between £1,600 to £4,000, and a smart stovetop’s price lies between £2,000 and £5,000. A smart fridge comes with egg sensors to warn them about expiring. With a smart cooktop, one can control the temperature using a smart speaker or smartphone. On average, a smart oven price ranges between £2,000 and £6,000.
Cost of a Smart Living Room
There are different things you can automate in your living room. This can be a fireplace, coffee table, TV, or installing smart lights and speakers. Automating the entire living room will cost you between £3,500 and £12,000.
A breakdown includes getting lighting for between £20 and £200. You can use smart bulbs with existing fixtures, a smart lighting kit, or install a smart switch or dimmer. Smart speakers cost you between £60 and £300, although the actual price depends on the features and brand. A smart speaker comes with an artificial assistant. You can get a smart TV for between £150 to £3,000. The actual cost depends on the TV brand and size. A smart coffee table will cost between £1,200 and £3,000 and usually have small refrigerators.
Lastly, a smart gas fireplace costs £1,500 to £4,000. You can control this unit using voice activation or Wi-Fi.
Cost of a Smart Bathroom
Automating your entire bathroom will cost you between £2,500 and £7,000. A smart mirror costs you £200 to £800. Smart mirrors feature in-built lighting, anti-fog, medicine cabinets, in-built magnifiers, and plugs. For a smart toilet, you can spend between £500 to £2,500. Its features include an in-built bidet, adjustable temperatures, and a heated seat. A smart shower price ranges from £1,000 to £3,000 and comes with music, steam options, aromatherapy, and lighting features.
Cost of a Smart Bedroom
Smart bedrooms include several automated devices, including smart beds, alarms, lighting, blinds, and speakers. To fully automate a bedroom, you will spend between £1,000 and £3,500.
A breakdown includes smart bedroom lights, which you can get from £10 to £100. You can have a smart light clock that shows you time and weather as it illuminates your bedside. A smart bed price average starts from £900 to £3,000. With a smart bed, you can auto-adjust their temperature or firmness. You can also use a remote to lower or raise the bed to a comfortable level. A smart bed alarm’s price ranges from £100 to £170. The alarm will ring when the bed occupant leaves.
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How Can One Save Money on Home Automation
Conserving Energy
The energy bill will likely go up when the lights are left on. However, with smart lighting, one can switch Off the lights using scheduling, a remote control, or automating your daily fixture. Moreover, smart bulbs are the easiest way of saving money since all that’s required is screwing in a light bulb. All smart bulbs are LEDs that utilise 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last twenty-five times longer.
Moreover, one can also use the dim setting for extra 40% power savings. Smart bulbs help in triggering a reaction to motion sensors, other smart devices, or your location. Therefore, they operate perfectly, minus having to switch them off.
A smart plug also helps in saving power with on/off scheduled functions. They are suitable for use with both small appliances and lamps. Smart plugs will help save some money since they will help switch the lights off or on and prevent the appliances plugged in always but not running from draining energy which increases your bill.
Conserving Water
EPA found that daily leaking of water in every household totals about one trillion gallons of water wasted annually. With a smart leak sensor, it will be an easy method of monitoring under sinks, around washing machines, behind toilets, and other possible leaky points. When a smart sensor senses a leak, you will get an alert on your smartphone, allowing you to fix the leak earlier. Other sensors will switch off the water when they detect a cycling toilet or a burst pipe to prevent a further catastrophe. Smart sprinkler controllers also help control water wastage outside by controlling the water amount used for irrigation in your garden based on plant types or soil moisture.
Curbing Cooling and Heating
Air conditioning and fans require more power to keep them running. However, a smart thermostat enhances one’s home’s cooling and heating system. A smart thermostat operates through learning your behaviour patterns and habits and recalling your preferences, which help regulate the temperature. Therefore, there will be no fuel or electricity wasted. A smart thermostat auto adjusts the temperatures to ideal levels depending on one’s habits, location, and time taken to cool a home. Moreover, with a smart window that has a smart plug, you will have extra control. Thus, you won’t waste cool air when there is no person to enjoy it.
There are smart thermostats that have a motion sensor. They adjust when they don’t sense human motion within a few hours. Others will allow you to set the temperature preferences through an app. Small adjustments made by the thermostat added up to more pounds of savings.
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Which Home Automation System Type is Best?
Home automation implementation depends on the kind of controls, which includes wireless or wired. Moreover, home automation is available in three types: power line home automation, wired home automation, and wireless home automation.
Advantages of Powerline Home Automation
- It’s inexpensive
- No extra cables are needed for data transfer
- Uses existing power
Cons of Powerline Home Automation
- It’s more complex
- Requires extra converter devices and circuits
Advantages of Wired Home Automation
- All home equipment is linked to the main controller using a communication cable.
- The whole process is centralised using a computer
- Safer
Disadvantages of Wired Home Automation
- Requires actuators for communication to be successful
Advantages of Wireless Home Automation
- Operated remotely
- Convenience since there is no cabling required
- It’s inexpensive
- Allows expandability
Disadvantages of Wireless Home Automation
- Limited Distance to Cover
- A limited number of devices connected
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What’s Involved in Home Automation?
Home automation operates through a network of devices linked together through various communication protocols. The protocol can be Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, etc. In addition, with the help of an electronic interface, various devices are controlled remotely using controllers. This can be via voice assistants like Google Assistant or Alexa or an app. Several of these IoT appliances have sensors that help monitor temperature changes, motion, light, etc. Besides, for any physical changes to occur, the device, the operator triggers actuators, and physical mechanisms similar to smart light switch the motors or motorised valves, which enables the devices to be regulated remotely.
Home automation operates on three distinct levels. These include sensors, control, and automation. Moreover, sensors ensure that the users can check their appliances remotely via an app. For instance, a person can view a live feed using a smart security camera. Control allows the user to regulate these appliances remotely. For instance, panning a camera to have a more view of the living space. Automation allows the setting up of devices to trigger each other. It’s like making the siren switch off anytime an armed security camera senses a motion.
How Can One Get and Hire a Home Automation Installer?
One can get a professional home automation installer at www.bark.com. Moreover, you can seek recommendations from friends, family, and neighbours that have had their work done, and they can recommend their technician. This will help in saving your effort and time in searching for one.
However, with bark, you will always get a reputable home automation installer who will guarantee you a clean job. Moreover, at the bark, you will be able to compare quotes from different installers; hence you will choose the most affordable. You can also use bark for other services like tree removals.
A proficient home automation installer is always on top when it comes to new technology for your home automation. Moreover, a qualified home automation installer from barks can work around various challenges your project presents. They will implement their solutions to ensure that your system operates reliably. They can personalise the system’s user interface, making it simple and intuitive for every person to use.
Moreover, a professional automation installer from bark ensures that your interior designer, electrician, and contractor understand your goals for a home automation system. They will operate together to accomplish your goal.
When choosing a professional home automation installer, always check on their experience, communication skills, certifications, customer support, etc.
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Ensuring You Get the Right Fit Professional
Firstly, you can request a written quote. This will help prevent awkward encounters after being charged more than what you had prepared after a job. In addition, checking out technicians’ experience is useful since it will help you know if they’re a suitable match for your job. A professional with the right skills is the best. Furthermore, check their certification and license to determine if they have the skills. An accredited installer recognised nationally or internationally by the right bodies, including CEDIA, is always the best.
ISO 9001:2015 is an accreditation which signifies that a person is skilled and offers excellent service. Moreover, the best professionals choose the appropriate services and products which suit customers’ needs and requirements.
Go for an expert who is confident and ready to interact freely. You will understand each other easily and get the work done as required with excellent communication skills.
With any professional tradesperson, you should always check customer ratings and reviews. Besides, this will give you an idea of who you will hire and their work quality, reliability, and care.
A reputable smart home installer should have some significant insurance policies that are active. This can include third-party liability and public insurance. In addition, one should check if they have professional indemnity insurance, which will cover them if installation errors occur.
Lastly, you can ask some smart questions. This will help you distinguish between high-quality smart home installers and home automation cowboys. Some of the questions include the recent smart home tasks you have completed successfully? Can you give some references from your customers and work done? Are you CEDIA-certified? And more others.
Final Checklist
Home automation is rapidly becoming popular, and several homeowners are adding this technology to their homes. Furthermore, this technology enables people to link their appliances and other household devices with an automated system to monitor and control remotely. This can be through a smartphone app, a switch, or a remote. With a home automation system, you will have several benefits, including 60% decreased energy charges on lighting and reduced cooling and heating costs which ranges between 10 to 30%. In addition, automated systems enable improved security, better home management, and a comfortable and peaceful mind. Several portable devices, including smartphones, Wi-Fi, and tablets, make this home automation idea more attainable and realistic. With a home automation system, it’s possible to control and monitor your home’s activities, whether inside or far away from your home.
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FAQs Regarding Home Automation
- Must you have an internet connection to operate a home automation system?
Yes, an internet connection is very vital in linking appliances and devices together to achieve the goal of automating your home. Moreover, if you intend to install a system which you’ll require to monitor and control when you are far off from your home, you need to have a safe and stable internet connection.
- Which is the best to install, a hardwired or wireless system?
Normally, a wireless system is relatively simple to install. Hardwired automation systems are complicated and need a professional installation. In addition, hardwired automation systems are expensive to install, unlike wireless systems.
Moreover, in terms of security, hardwired systems are safer, unlike wireless systems. Sometimes wireless systems can be hacked or experience some interference. For instance, if you have network problems on your smartphone, you’ll be unable to manage and control all your home automation devices and appliances. Hardwired systems are very difficult to hack, and they hardly encounter interference. Nevertheless, if you have hardwired systems, you need to have a power backup just in case of a shortage.
Moreover, hardwired systems are installed permanently. Hence they can’t be relocated when moving to a new home. You can easily disconnect and carry to your new home with wireless systems.
- Can one synchronise their systems?
Synchronising home automation systems means all your devices will deactivate or activate according to some conditions. For instance, one can set if their alarm clock switches off, then their shower switches on to their desired temperature.
- How safe are my details?
In this case, details include your log-in details, password, programs, and account information. The provider of home automation service securely stores all these details. Thus, before signing up for a home automation pack, you need to check with the provider’s contract to understand their policy regarding the safety of your details. Sign the brand’s contract, and you’ll be comfortable with their data security terms. In addition, always ask the provider of your home automation system if they’ll share your data with other brands.
- What’s the importance of automating?
Home automation has several benefits to your home. Homeowners with home automation systems have experienced reduced energy costs, time-saving, enhanced home security, convenience, and peace of mind.
- What’s a smart home?
This is any home which includes automated and Internet of Things appliances linked together to a smartphone application. In addition, with the help of these IoT devices, users can control and manage several devices in their homes. These include lights, security systems, and appliances. Increasingly, several homes have automation from their original building. Moreover, every home with IoT devices and an internet connection is a smart home.
- Can the homeowners install an automation system by themselves?
Yes, but this relies on the systems or products they select. Wide varieties of basic smart home technology are simple to install and are easily integrated with one’s home using mobile apps. However, it’s good to have a qualified installer do the job for bespoke or comprehensive home automation systems for your whole house.
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