How to decide how much to spend on a home control system

Posted by Tim Ending on Sep 26, 2005

A Home Control System in this definition is a complete solution that will interface in a home with various components, devices and/or independent systems, legacy and non-legacy, to deliver a complete and desired solution.

Much like buying a car, a home control system should fit your lifestyle, budget and expectations. Home Control Systems can be expensive, but as with the old adage, you get what you pay for. AMX and Crestron are considered industry titans and you can pretty much throw anything at their systems. Other control systems like those from Control4, Elan, ICommand, and HomeLogic are also available at lower prices. Most home control systems need a high level of programming expertise (using proprietary software and code) way above the scope of the typical user.

Just like car dealerships selling only a particular brand of car, most dealers of home control systems lean toward a particular system more than the others for various reasons. So part of your homework after you decide on a dealer to work with will be to find out what control system he/she sells, installs and services.

Determine:

1. What functions you want the system to handle. For example, it could instruct the lights to turn on at dusk, wake you up with soothing music every day at 7:00a.m. and dim the family room lights whenever you turn on the DVD player.
2. What systems you want to be able to automate. For example, you could use a home control system to operate lighting, security, audio and video components and the thermostats. And just like the options of a car, the more functions a home control system takes on, the more expensive it becomes.
3. Where and how do you want the systems controlled. For example, you could use a combination of touchscreens, keypads and handheld remotes to operate every system in your house from multiple locations. Touchscreens are typically the most expensive type of controller, so you might want to put that type of controller in just a couple of key rooms like the kitchen and master bedroom. Naturally, the more controllers you have, the pricier your system gets.
4. How much customization do you want. If money is no object, you could have your home systems installer design the screen of every controller to match the décor. This level of customization is typically not available on lower priced systems.

As a rule of thumb, the more systems, equipment, rooms (aka zones) the home control system manages, the higher the cost. A significant part of the expense will be for having the system professionally programmed.

It is not uncommon for systems to cost between $8,000 and $12,000+ for each controllable room. With these expectations, you can the approach your chosen home systems installation firm with a more detailed breakdown -- for instance, noting that having a home theater is a higher priority for you than being able to automate the lights. Again, just like car shopping, you cannot expect to buy a hybrid and then take it NASCAR racing and expect to win. And sometimes those added options can make a big difference. The good thing though is that most control systems are considered fixed assets and therefore can be financed in traditional ways while enhancing your lifestyle as well as the re-sale value of your home.