For anyone who has lived in a technology-enabled home, moving to a new home without much technology is almost like going back to the Stone Age. What makes matters worse is that when the technology is installed and done well, it becomes virtually invisible, meaning you may not know you miss it till you don't have it anymore.

We have talked to several team members at BRAVAS and asked them to use their experience working with an industry leading home automation company to advice homeowners and what to think about first when it comes to home technology. Here are the top 4 things to consider for your Austin,TX home.

1. Network, Network, Network

They don't turn the electricity or gas off when you sell a home (you have some grace period), but you could walk into a new home with no network. The last owner will have returned the modem and maybe all the WI-FI access points to the service provider on day one.  They also may not have used as much technology as you do (not having yet 'cut the cord' and gone to streaming), so they may never have had the infrastructure you need.

Before you move and get your your network hook-up scheduled with your provider, a home automation company like BRAVAS can help you design any changes you may need. As to how much you need, bandwidth-wise, if you are reading this blog, buy the maximum you can. A modern connected home should have a gigabit network connection if possible.

Of course, your network provider may also provide your TV channels but prioritize network speed over TV channels. You can always stream TV channels, but you can’t always get more bandwidth.

 

2. Shades and Window Treatments

When you build a new home, you spend a lot of time on window treatments and shades. When you move into an already existing home, you may be starting with what the previous owner left behind, which is perhaps something or more likely nothing. The challenge in this area is that the lead time to getting bespoke treatments may be longer than you think - so starting early is essential. There are a few other considerations to think through:

 

• Did the previous owner have window treatments in all the rooms you would like them installed?
• Do you want black-out capability in bedrooms where the previous owners did not?
• Do you want your shades to be automated, and is the home ready and wired for that?

 

Knowing the answers to these questions is the first step. Having your local home automation company, like BRAVAS, ready to execute on a plan is essential.

 

3. A Whole New Lighting Approach

If you have never experienced well-designed lighting control, it may be hard to understand why it can change the way you operate your home. For those who have had a sound light control system in place, the idea of having to turn each light off when you leave the house can be, if not daunting, frustrating. Where are the "Away" or the "Night-Time" buttons? When you tell Alexa or Siri that it's bedtime, does she say "good night" but do nothing else?

Lighting control can be easy to install but hard to program. Getting the suitable scenes and use cases together takes experience and practice. Additionally, the scenes you had in your last home may not make sense in your new one.

While you are considering your window fixtures, you should also be considering your lighting control. Well-designed systems work together.

 

4. Comfortable and Convenient

If you look through the BRAVAS Solutions Guide, you will find page after page of great solutions to make your home both comfortable and convenient. We would recommend you take a few minutes and consider what is important to you. What makes your house your home?

 

Here are some favorites among our clients:

 

• a single system to control the whole home
• security camera and protection
• climate control and fan integration
• outdoor lighting and sound
• voice control

 

Whatever your list is, it's better to write down what you think you would want before buying too much infrastructure. You may not want to install everything on day one, but you don't want to be changing the network or software platform in your home in a few months because you didn't plan for something.

Talk as a family about how you use and want to manage your home and start in the right direction.

 

We Can Help

One of the roles that a home automation company like BRAVAS can play is to help you think through all these ideas and more. Some people think of us as the "Audio-Video Guys" or even the people who do "low voltage stuff" but that's not all we can do for you.

 

What a company like BRAVAS can do is help you make your home work for you. We know it's a beautiful place, we want to make sure it's a smart space too. Get started on your dream home today by giving us a call or filling out our contact form.