Cover story: Smart ways to live in high-tech house

Your home is expected to do a lot these days. Beyond fulfilling basic shelter needs, today’s home is both a modern-day feat of technology and a place to enjoy old-fashioned family time. New electronics can help make just about everything easier around the house, from turning on the lights before you walk in the door to keeping an eye on your children. Homeowners - and buyers - are especially interested in high-tech devices that will help them cut costs and save time.

“If a home is priced right and has all the new bells and whistles, it’s going to sell,” says Lorraine Arora, branch vice president of Coldwell Banker’s office in Arlington. “People are looking for smart technology that’s going to make their lives easier.”

Even as confidence in the overall economy fell slightly last month, confidence in technology and consumer electronics jumped, according to the latest figures from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and CNET.

However, today’s technology is often tomorrow’s trash. That can be a problem, especially in a market where there are lots of available homes. Those intercom systems from the ‘80s, for example, don’t excite potential homebuyers - especially when they don’t work.

Ms. Arora says homeowners should just get rid of the things they no longer use or that don’t work because most buyers don’t have the time, energy or inclination to start renovating. Homeowners not only have to cope with the old wiring and the multitude of phone lines put in homes years ago, they have to try to anticipate what to buy now that will integrate with tomorrow’s trends.

What’s hot? Wireless. Over 30 percent of American households now have a wireless network, according to data provided by the CEA, and that number is expected to grow as manufacturers begin to showcase a variety of wireless electronics.

Before you start ripping out those old wires, consider this: Today’s wireless systems are not quite where they need to be for optimum video and audio, says Dan Liberman, owner of Infinite Sight and Sound in Fairfax, a company that specializes in installation of audio-visual systems and home theaters.

“The only wireless that stands a chance is digital wireless,” says Mr. Liberman. “As far as video goes, it’s not quite here at this point.”

Some wiring is necessary - even for wireless applications. The new approach is structured wiring, which organizes systems into a hierarchy of connections.

“Structured wiring is the first step,” says Ryan Skelly, technical support manager at Smart Home Systems Inc. (www.SmartHomeUSA.com), a smart-home technology company founded in 1995. “All audio, video, camera, telecommunications and sensors can be implemented very easily.”

Structured wiring also allows you to add new technology in stages, as your budget and inclination allows.

“You can see the savings from one part before beginning another,” says Mr. Skelly. “And you can put the money you saved into the next piece of equipment. It allows you to make modifications in small steps.”

Updating your home technology doesn’t necessarily mean ripping up your walls. New HomePlug systems use the existing electrical lines to transmit signals. Other systems may use radio frequencies.

“This allows people to retrofit their homes for less expense,” says Laura Hubbard, CEA spokesperson.

Making your home a place where you not only get to hang your hat but want to spend your time is especially important in tough economic times. Today’s smart-home gadgets and home-automation appliances allow homeowners to enjoy their spaces and be surrounded with sound and larger-than-life effects (if your flat-panel screen is big enough).

Story Continues →