How often have you looked back on a home upgrade project and thought to yourself “If I could do it over again, there’s a lot I would do differently”? Often, we don’t know what we don’t know, and this shortcoming can lead to a lot of missed opportunities for enhancements to your life.

To keep from missing out on the best aspects of home technology, read this quick list of advice from our team of BRAVAS experts on things to consider when developing your list of priorities:

1. Lighting and Motorized Shades
   Upgrading to automated control is a great first step, but are you aware of what a well-designed system can do for you? Don’t make the mistake of installing disparate shading and lighting technology. Instead, be sure to integrate every light and window treatment to one central control system.
2. Heating and Cooling
   Large homes can present a lot of heating and cooling challenges. Your basic smart thermostat probably won’t be enough to mitigate these problems. Instead, look for systems that keep zones well-coordinated and allow automated control of every aspect.
3. The Full Media Experience
   Entertainment these days is more than TVs. When doing an entertainment system upgrade, look for features such as whole home audio so that you can enjoy music in every room or video displays that look good in every video in every possible lighting environment. The goal is to consider how best to enjoy the media in your home, then use technology to fully achieve it.
4. Don’t Skimp on Security
   Make security and video surveillance a very high priority in your home upgrade. Instead of basic CCTV, consider the benefits of a system that allows you to control your security when at home. This could include remote access control via smart locks, real-time surveillance footage for monitoring service people, and smart alerts that notify you as soon as a problem is detected.
5. Don’t Forget the Outdoors
   Outdoor lighting and entertainment is so often forgotten until you move in. It’s a much better idea to investigate what’s available in outdoor solutions and start on the project beforehand.
6. Create a Strong Wiring Foundation
   While you cannot anticipate every future requirement for technology, having adequate wiring and well-designed technology closets/centers can allow for easy expansion and fewer headaches down the road.

That’s enough to get you started, but we encourage you to call a local BRAVAS partner for more information on successfully planning your home system.