March 3, 2024
Remodeling season officially begins with the new year. Thankfully in California, there is plenty of ample sunshine giving time for crews to construct new homes, or remodel existing ones. Some of us even have a new home project finally going from the planning stages to construction, and 2021 is definitely going to be a year for building new things. The daunting tasks involved in creating an entire new structure from scratch, or one that you’ve brought down to the bare walls, can seem insurmountable. These structures will need to be filled with wires, automation, security cameras, and much more, and all of this can be incredibly anxiety inducing. Without getting too complex and adding to your woes, here are five main bullet points which we’ll address today to help.
Let’s get started with the basics. Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling an existing one, the wiring is where it all starts. Unfortunately, this one is the least exciting and the most time consuming in most new and remodeled homes. Every home contains an entire nervous system of different cables, wires, and outlets. Every kind of wire imaginable must be considered beforehand for every other aspect we’ll address in this article, and everything wiring related must be completed first to ensure everything that follows is done properly. Even something as simple as speaker wiring can be disastrous if forgotten in the beginning stages of construction. It’s very important to have a contractor that knows what they’re doing, because placement is everything when it comes to wiring. Be sure your blueprints are exact and accurate, because if they’re not then problems will likely occur later on.
Home Automation involves all those fun little smart home gadgets you’ve been dreaming over, from those iPads you can stick on your wall to the beautiful Lutron Palladiom keypads that can be customized to your every need. This is where designing and remodeling your new smart home idea gets a little more exciting. This process involves deciding what you’d like to automate your home, and where. Everything from Lutron Shades to iPads in the walls controlling a Savant system must be thought of, or else it’ll have to be likely installed at a later time. You’ll have to imagine the best way that the process of automating your home will make your life easier in the future. Even something as simple as opening your shades in the morning can be made infinitely more simple and convenient with a properly done automation system such as Savant. Every system is very complex, such as the Lutron Shades we previously wrote about. These are important items to consider, however there are likely more you’ll have to think of for your specific home’s needs.
When it comes to making sure your home is livable and able to entertain you and your guests, this one is quite important. The placement of your speakers and television setups, and the controlling systems that automate them (such as Alexa, or Sonos) make or break your smart home. During construction you’ll want to think of how you’ll want to use each of these different aspects to control your home whether it be remotely or from a wall panel, or even an app. We previously talked about different speaker setups, and every part of your home will likely need a different one. You’ll want the best bang for your buck, and there are plenty of speaker options to give you just that. When it comes to televisions, there are a broad range of styles and sizes to choose from. Remember it’s important to imagine each room individually when it comes to determining each style of TV, as you could end up regretting that 65" Samsung instead of the brand new LG OLED 77" in your home theater.
You’re going to want to ensure that your home is safe and secure once it’s complete. This means the installation of things such as video doorbells, security cameras, and security monitoring. Every one of these is entirely complex, and will require a lot of research. When we wrote about security cameras previously, we mentioned the various styles, sizes, and resolutions available. These will be crucial in securing your new home. Video doorbells and intercoms are another important aspect, as some options give more features than others. Some of them are easily fail-able, such as the DoorKing 1812 model that our team previously exposed. Do your research and consult with your security provider to ensure that every option in your home is the most secure and valuable. Be sure to place a lawn sign to further deter intruders once your landscaping is complete and you’re all moved in.
2020 is the year of Work From Home, along with Distance Learning. Your Wi-Fi network needs to be able to keep up. So if you’re currently in a position to upgrade while designing or remodeling your new smart home, we definitely recommend doing the most with your home network. The biggest headache one can face once their home is complete is figuring out why their Wi-Fi isn’t connected. The second biggest headache is finding someone qualified to fix it. When you’re in the construction and planning phase of your home, make sure it’s done right from the beginning, and you can avoid all of these issues. Placement of a great Wi-Fi system (such as Google Wi-Fi) can ensure that your home is properly covered. Wiring is important in this step as well, as everything networking is entirely reliant on proper wiring having been done in the start. When it’s not, it’s a massive headache to fix. If you have kids, you’ll want to make sure you have a great system in place that can restrict their Wi-Fi access, and keep them outdoors in your new pool and patio area, instead of inside and online all day. Every room will have its own networking needs, so at risk of sounding like a broken record in this article — do your research and avoid issues later on. It’s important.
Your new home is going to be perfect, despite the headaches you might experience during each stage of construction or remodeling. We hope that this article lessens the headache of your new or remodeled home, and allows you to take the fast lane to finishing and being able to enjoy it. Just remember, every aspect is equally important to your new home, so don’t take any shortcuts because you’ll regret it later — trust us on that.
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