|
| Ek's Home | Forum | Chat | Electrical Links | |
| Subject - Show Homes | |
| Mike Delaney | One of the builders we do work for is building a new show home. I want to add some bells and whistles, so I can show clients what options are available, and what they look like. The expense for whatever extra stuff I want to put in will be out of my own pocket (builder may share some cost, but not much). Options runing through my head are, sound (suround sound, whole house audio), structured wiring systems, maybe a graffik eye, what are your guys thoughts on the matter?? Where do you think my money would be well spent? I thought about instead of installing speakers and expensive equiptment, maybe getting cardboard box replicas, and displaying them with information. I think lighting would be the most obviuos, dimmers, timmers, etc. |
| kbsparky | One option we have offered over the years is a photocell circuit for all outside lighting. We would place a photocell near the service panel, resulting in automatic dusk-to-dawn operation for all outside lights. We would still place wall switches for each outside light as per usual, the light just would not operate until it was dark out. |
| nfsus | if you are not using a communication panel, it is a good selling point for a fancy home. |
| MONOLITH | Smart homes/automated homes are definately the wave of the future. There's a good article in Electrical Contractor 12/04 issue. Custom home wiring prices can triple to quadruple with it. I think cardboard box replicas would work in the case of sound systems, security devices etc, but things like the grafik eye lighting controls are best to be functioning, as those are the things that impress people when they play with the scene changes and such. Along with the grafik eye, really give some thought to the design of the interior lighting. Put in 'effect' lighting that is pleasing to the eye. Track or wall washers that highlight perimeter walls have dramatic effect on a rooms appearance, yet light the rooms interior enough from reflected light off of the walls. Kitchens; halogen undercabinet lights, and up-lights on top of cabinets, if there's no soffit on top. Find ways to go beyond the same old typical light in the middle of the room stuff. Security is a big seller as well. There's lots of options for unobtrusive but useful cameras at a front door. They have them built into doorbell/speaker systems. Many people have a minicamera/doorbell at the front door, with a monitor in the master bedroom, usually built into some type of house intercom system. The intercom system itself, while sort of 'old school' can still have it's selling points. Think about a small monitored fire alarm system. When a real estate agent can tell a potential buyer "this smoke detector calls the fire dept for you", that's an eye opener. Carbon monoxide sensor in the garage. Obviously communications/networking is a big one. Seperate RG6 runs to various locations to a central hub for High Speed cable modems. Cat 5 cable instead of standard phone wire. Many telephone utility companies are converting to fiber optics thru neighborhoods, getting ready to compete on the broadband market. Keep that in mind, soon the phone wire will carry TV signal as well as phone. Automate everything. Water heaters, pool pumps, etc. Another thing about the lighting that really gets attention....motion sensor triggered lights indoors. Show someone that when they wake up in the middle of the night and walk into their hallway, the lights come on automatically, is a bigger 'wow' then you may first think. It's also a great security feature as well. When the wife says "Honey, I heard something downstairs", it's nice that the lights already came on by themselves down there. I probably have more, but I'm short on time right now.... |
| Rodney | Staying on this same topic, I have just started my residential electrical business. I have been working with commercial for the past seven years. Where do I go to find out about automated systems, things that be nice features in a home? Do I have to buy them to figure them out or are there classes that will teach me about the products? Thanks Rodney |
| MONOLITH | Here's a start Rodney; http://www.swhowto.com/index.htm http://www.smarthome.com/howto13.html There's a ton of educational material available online. I simply google searched 'Structured wiring instruction' and 'home automation wiring instruction'. Also, every manufacturer usually has downloadable PDF files with the specs and instructions for their products. Best of luck. |
| Scott Vickrey | One thing that is really big right now is Mini-pendant lighting |
| CooCooMike | Something to pay attention to is the type of lamps you use in the fixtures,much in the way supermarkets use special lamps to display certain types of meat. |
| MONOLITH | quote: I'm fond of those myself. 
|
| Mike Delaney | Thanks guys for the tips. I will put alot of thought into it, the house is almost framed, so I guess I won't have alot of time. I like mini pendants, 4" recess w/ eyeballs and halogen lamps. The structured wiring system is really adding alot to my business, and am constantly trying to figure out better ways to market it, probably 7 out of every 10 houses we do have "tech bundles", (2 CAT5e and 2 quad shielded RG-6), and a media panel, we sell alot of speaker pre-wire...now that I'm starting to get more knowlege of these system, I would like to sell more speakers, routers, ethernet hubs, maybe even plasma tv.'s If you know how to market these items, and electrician can clean house, he already is there installing the electrical system, so he can provide these items at a lesser cost than someone that would be there just to install a couple of phone lines. People would like alot of these technologys and wrap them into there mortgage payments. So instead of 1000, or 2000 in upgrades, you could have 15000, to 30000 in upgrades (maybe thats a little high), but make alot more than standard electrical items. |
| MONOLITH | quote: *daydreaming of the things I could buy with that*
|