So you had your home remodeled. Had that extension added to double the size of your home or bought new, knocked down and rebuilt your own custom space. The finishing touches are done and a year, maybe 5 years down the road you decide you want music throughout the house, a wi-fi network set up or some simple lighting upgrades. This can all be done post remodel as we do all the time, but the savings, peace of mind and project outcome are far worth it when planned for before your remodel or build. This is the reason why 90% of projects we install for clients, end up being done in conjunction with the remodeling process.
So what are some of these key things to think about when planning construction? What are a few simple tasks that save money on your project in the long run? These are the top 5 that we come across the most that in hindsight, save clients time, headaches and money.
Space and Component Layout/Location
A little bit of planning for A/V equipment can go a long way. In the early stages, is where you have the power to marry all the home technology desired without disrupting the aesthetics or design of a space. Simply deciding where recessed TV’s, hidden cable boxes, components, in-wall speakers, etc. will go prior to beginning a build is the foundation for everything else. Similar to how you would normally plan for outlets, hi-hat lighting and HVAC vents, the same holds true for televisions, security & fire alarm detectors and any other components. Nowadays clients often want their home technology components hidden in a remote location (basement, closet, etc.) so they are out of view, but easy to access. For something like this, planning ahead is an absolute must because of the pre-wire needs, which brings us to…
Pre-wiring for Future Savings
A lot of hard work, time and budget goes into the finishing touches of a newly built or remodeled home. The last thing anyone wants is to have to cut into those faux finish walls in order to snake new wires. This can be prevented and save tons of time and money, by simply pre-wiring the home for everything being installed now and anything that may come up in the future. Don’t want those in-wall speakers at the moment but might in the next few months? No problem, just run the speaker wire to the location where you are going to want those speakers, this way when you decide on them, it’s a less complicated install done in a fraction of the time. Also, keep in mind that often times once a space is finished, your speaker location options are eliminated. Snaking wires is not always an option. For the cost of wires compared to the cost of labor to snake wires, it doesn’t make much sense to undercut yourself here, but rather plan for what may come up down the road.
“Outside the Box” options
This part is by far the most fun. Don’t just settle for what the average home consists of, instead consider your options. Check out some of the latest options we have hand picked from past clients requests:
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Security & Fire Alarm Locations
Although many portions of a Security & Fire Alarm System can be wireless, their are still a good amount of hard wire aspects to think about prior to closing up walls. When we talk about security in your home, nowadays that consists of sirens, intercoms (sometimes with video), surveillance cameras and obviously the main power source. All things that need to be hard wired and planned for accordingly. Make sure, when working with your security installation company, you are both on the same page with all security system options and plans.
Lighting Control Options
Lighting is one of the most important things to consider in the design of a home. It sets the mood for just about every room in the house, and now that lighting has become an industry of it’s own, homeowners have a ton of options to choose from when it comes to integrating with your new space. You want to make sure all of your lighting control options are laid out in front of you prior to walls going up. Reason being, is this ties right back to pre-wiring. Did you want to control your lights from your devices, such as an iPad or iPhone? Did you want to consolidate a handful of switches into one easy 6-button panel switch? Have you thought about dimming features and mood scenes? If these have not been discussed in the planning of your new space, make sure to do so. Like most other things on this list, it will save you time and money in the long run and give you the most out of your new home or remodel.