New homes can have more technology than dimmer switches and central air. A 21st-century custom home can be as sophisticated as a high-end car, and adding automation to your current home is a great way to add value if you ever want to sell.

So, what are some aspects of your custom home that can be made smarter?

1) Lighting

Imagine lights that come on when you enter a room and turn off when you leave. No fumbling for a light switch at night and no coming from vacation to find that the bathroom light’s been on for the past two weeks. Phillips’ Hue range is a line of smart light bulbs that can turn on and off, dim and change colour

2) Security

Your doors can be upgraded with keycard, code or fingerprint access, making break-ins much harder. If somebody does make it in then something like the Adobe Home Security Starter kit should alert you and the authorities before they can do any damage.

3) Heating

The Nest Learning Thermostat was one of the first home automation products to really make it big, and it’s easy to see why. It not only looks good but can turn off heat when you’re not home and learn your heating and cooling preferences until you don’t have to touch the controls at all. It also works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, so you can control it with your voice.

4) Entertainment

Sonos speakers are the gold standard in terms of connected home audio. Plug one in and you’ve got a great quality music player that can stream from iTunes, Spotify and others; add another one and your audio can be in two rooms at once. Add more and you’ve got a party.

5) Bringing it all together

If you’re settling down to watch a movie, you don’t want to open one app to get the temperature right, another app to dim the lights and another to turn on the TV— a home automation hub like the Wink Connected Home Hub brings all your devices together in one app, making running a 21st century home that much easier.

If you’re looking to build a new custom home or to renovate your existing home then ask us how home automation and connectivity can enhance your life.