A few years ago, when the words “smart house” were mentioned, most people associated them with an interesting yet useless in everyday life toy for the wealthiest. Nowadays, the attitude to smart houses is gradually changing as technology is becoming more accessible than ever.
The question is how much a smart home automation system may cost. Sure, you can choose DIY smart home projects for a shoestring budget. However, if your knowledge of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other tech is limited, it’s better to turn to professionals.
What Is a Smart Home Automation System?
The smart home is a collection of tools and gadgets to make a user’s life easier and provide maximum comfort and safety. They quickly become indispensable assistants and enter our lives. A wide range of interesting and useful gadgets are available today:
- Smart cameras.
- Devices for finding things.
- Environmental (temperature) sensors.
- HVAC systems.
- Smart locks.
Each has its purposes. Smart cameras allow you to remotely monitor what’s going on in your home or apartment. Environmental sensors for smart home systems help you take the right steps in caring for your plants.
Problems Associated with Home Automation
Before moving to the price comparison, you may want to consider common complaints and solutions for home automation.
- Too many home automation control tools. Systems are installed in regular stages without a central control point. It can cause problems with home automation.
- Not enough features. It happens mostly because the installation company doesn’t know how to deal with existing features or create new ones. As a result, they install defective parts or smart devices that lack the necessary capabilities.
- Not integrating subsystems. Does the heater work properly? Not connecting to security cameras? Other issues? Your subsystems may not be integrating properly, which is the problem.
- Long delays during the project’s build. One of the most discouraging issues with home automation is the occurrence of long delays during the project’s initial construction.
Common solution: If you face any of the mentioned issues, it is better to contact experts to avoid making things even worse.
Which Factors Determine the Smart House Cost
The price of the ready-made smart house system is made up of certain indicators: the set of functions and the quantity and price of devices. Here is how the companies offering automation systems work at the design and development stage:
- Discuss the necessary functions with the customer.
- Draw up specifications (requirements).
- Develop the project, taking into account the client’s wishes.
- Define equipment composition.
Only after that can you estimate an approximate price of a smart house. Also, consider the price of home automation installation services.
The cost of the smart house project depends on the amount of planned work. The more functions the customer wishes to include in the project, the higher the final price. It’s important to understand the result based on the customer’s needs.
How Much Would a Home Automation System Cost You in 2023?
You may find a detailed smart home pricing comparison from various providers, but here are the average prices.
Costs for new buildings typically range from 3% to 7%. Accordingly, your home automation costs will range from $30,000 to $70,000 for a $1,000,000 house. Depending on the quality of the equipment, the price might vary greatly; for instance, a pair of speakers might cost $200 or $2000.
For renovations or existing construction, the typical range is $5,000 to $15,000. Again, these costs can go up or down depending on your cable infrastructure, existing equipment and the labor required for installation.
It’s simple to install home automation on a budget, but when the right customer wants to go all out, it is not uncommon for projects to cost well over $100,000. Regarding specific elements, the spendings are:
- HVAC – roughly $500 per thermostat.
- Lighting – approximately $10,000 per ann average floor.
- Surveillance – about $1,000 per camera.
- Audio – about $1,000 per zone of audio (with speakers and amplifiers).
- Video – around $1,500 per TV.
- Control – roughly $1,000 per touch panel and controller.
As you can see, home automation costs vary depending on goals, needs, comfort and control.