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JAN/FEB 2006
By STEVE KILLICK
Remember what it was like before the advent of the mobile telephone? It has become inconceivable for most of us to leave home in the morning without one. And, soon, many of us could be using a mobile to set our burglar alarms, dim our lights and even switch on our ovens.
Interior designers in the United States have pioneered what they call the “smart-home experience” – in essence, a fully pre-programmable dwelling, becoming increasingly popular on these shores. You simply phone up and tap in a security code, from which you access a menu panel that allows you to operate sound systems, TV security, lights, in fact, anything electronic, by keying in a number. You can even draw the blinds.
As house design has become more sophisticated, so developers have grown increasingly aware of large number of people who work from home on either a full-or part-time basis, and how, for them, broadband access is essential to communicate with customers and colleagues.
O&H Properties is currently developing The Heart in Walton-on-Thames town centre, Surrey, where it is building 279 apartments on six floors above 52 new shops. Alison Allen, property director at O&H, says: “Discerning buyers are demanding that new schemes provide cutting-edge technology. And the ability to run an office from home is a must-have.”
Not only is a home a workstation, it is also a place for entertainment. Having installed the electronics, it is just as easy to run a plasma-screen TV, games or a music centre off it as off a laptop. And developers are increasingly prepared to invest in the installation of your hi-tech equipment, and in some cases, will have the gadgets up and running when you move in.
Developers know that many homebuyers are going to fall in love with a “smart home” and thus speed up a sale. Research recently undertaken in the US shows that such homes sell much quicker than the equivalent property without the gizmos, and they even maintain their value longer. And, high-tech packages are not the sole domain of the new-homes builder. Companies such as Smarthomes UK (www.smarthomes-uk.com) based in Alton, Hampshire, offer a complete range of electronic installations and say that basic systems can be run from areas as small as cupboards beneath the stairs. However, the complex wiring necessary for temperature control, home cinema and music centres that will allow Radio 4 to play in the kitchen, while anything from classical music to rap is heard in other rooms, does not come cheaply.
Much of what we are just starting to see will be commonplace in new-home technology over the next 20 years, coupled with increased energy conservation and use of renewable materials. Domestic items, such as fridges, boilers and washing machines, will alert a service centre when parts need replacing, while fully programmable heating and lighting will ensure massive energy savings. And, at the very least, the advent of all this technology should mean we will be able to enjoy our leisure time during the growing number of hours many of us will spend at home |
