How Much Does a Smart Home Cost in the UK?
One of the first questions people ask when considering home automation is simple: how much does a smart home cost?
Unfortunately, there isn't one fixed answer. No two homes are the same, and no two clients want exactly the same thing.
A smart home could mean adding smart lighting to a few rooms, or it could mean installing a fully integrated system throughout a large new-build property, including lighting, audio, home cinema, security, networking and automated blinds.
The difference in cost between those two projects can be substantial.
As a general guide, a professionally designed and installed smart home might fall into one of the following ranges:
Small smart home: £10,000 - £20,000
Medium smart home: £20,000 - £40,000
Large smart home: £40,000 - £75,000
Fully comprehensive smart home: £75,000+
These figures are very rough estimates rather than fixed prices. The actual cost depends on the size of the property, how many rooms are being automated, the equipment being used, the amount of cabling required and how much you want the different systems to work together.
What affects the cost of a smart home?
There are several things that can have a major impact on the final price.
The size of the property is an obvious one. A smaller house with smart lighting and a few automated features will naturally cost less than a large property where every room is connected.
More rooms can mean more lighting circuits, keypads, speakers, network equipment, control hardware and programming.
You also don't necessarily need to automate the whole house. Focusing on particular areas can keep the project more focused, while a comprehensive system will naturally involve more equipment and installation work.
How much do you want to automate?
You don't have to automate everything.
Some homeowners might want to concentrate on lighting and entertainment, while others want the whole house connected.
A project could include:
Smart lighting
Home cinema
Multi-room audio
Automated blinds
Heating and climate control
Home security
Networking and WiFi
Television and media systems
Whole-home automation
The more systems that are brought together, the more equipment, design and programming may be involved.
Rough smart home pricing
The following figures are intended to give you an idea of the sort of budgets you might be looking at.
Small smart home: £10,000 - £20,000
This could cover a more focused professional installation across selected areas of the property.
For example, you might have smart lighting, some entertainment control, networking and automation in a number of key rooms.
Medium smart home: £20,000 - £40,000
At this level, you could start looking at more extensive whole-home automation, with multiple rooms and several systems being brought together.
This could include lighting, audio, networking, security and entertainment, depending on the property and specification.
Large smart home: £40,000 - £75,000
Larger properties and more comprehensive systems can move into this range.
There may be extensive lighting control, multi-room audio, security, automated blinds, networking, home cinema and more advanced integration across the property.
Fully comprehensive smart home: £75,000+
For larger properties where the aim is to integrate most aspects of the home, budgets can go beyond £75,000.
This could involve extensive automation throughout the property, alongside high-end audio visual systems, dedicated home cinema, lighting, security, networking and other integrated technology.
Again, these aren't fixed packages. They're broad guidelines to give you an idea of how different smart home projects can compare.
How much does Control4 cost?
Control4 is a professional home automation platform that can bring different parts of a property together.
Rather than having a separate system for every part of your home, Control4 can be used to integrate areas such as lighting, audio visual, security, climate and entertainment into one system.
The cost of a Control4 installation varies depending on what you want the system to control.
A smaller installation might focus on a few rooms, whereas a larger project could involve the entire property.
The hardware is only part of the overall cost, too. A professional installation can involve system design, cabling, programming, installation and commissioning.
This is why asking "how much does Control4 cost?" without explaining what you want the system to do doesn't really produce a useful answer. The best way to understand the cost is to discuss the property and your requirements with an installer.
How much does smart lighting cost?
Smart lighting can range from a relatively small upgrade to a major part of a whole-home automation project.
The cost will depend on the number of lighting circuits, rooms and controls involved, as well as the type of lighting being installed.
If you're building a new house, it can make sense to plan lighting control alongside the electrical design. This gives you the opportunity to get the wiring and controls right from the start.
For an existing property, the installation requirements may be different depending on the existing wiring and the type of system being considered.
If lighting is going to be a major part of your smart home, it's worth discussing it with your installer before choosing individual smart bulbs or switches.
How much does a home cinema cost?
A home cinema is another area where costs can vary enormously.
A simple media room with a large television and surround sound system is going to have a very different budget from a dedicated cinema with a projector, large screen, acoustic treatment, specialist seating and integrated lighting.
As part of a larger smart home project, the cinema can also be connected to the automation system.
For example, pressing one button could start the cinema, lower the blinds, adjust the lighting and switch the equipment to the correct input.
The technology and equipment are only part of the project. The room itself, installation requirements and the level of finish can all affect the final price.
Does a new build cost less to make smart?
Not necessarily, but planning a smart home during a new build can make the installation much easier.
When the property is still being designed, there is an opportunity to plan cabling, network points, equipment locations, speakers, lighting controls and other infrastructure before the walls and ceilings are finished.
This can give you more flexibility and avoid having to retrofit certain elements later.
It also means you can think about the whole system rather than trying to add individual products once the house is finished.
If you're building a new home, it's worth speaking to a smart home installer early rather than waiting until the house is nearly finished.
What about an existing house?
Smart home technology can absolutely be installed in an existing property.
However, the cost and complexity can depend on what is already there.
If new cabling is required, for example, the installation may involve more work than a system being designed into a property from the beginning.
The good news is that you don't necessarily need to automate the entire house at once.
You could start with a particular area, such as a cinema room, lighting or networking, and develop the system over time.
Is a professionally installed smart home worth the money?
That depends on what you want from your home.
If you're only looking for a couple of smart bulbs and a smart speaker, a professional automation system probably isn't necessary.
For a larger property where you want lighting, entertainment, security, networking and other systems to work together, professional installation becomes much more valuable.
The main benefit isn't just the basics being able to control things from your phone. It's having a system that has been properly designed, installed and programmed around the property and the way you use it, so things happen around schedules and routines.
If you're planning a new build, renovation or smart home upgrade in York or the surrounding area, Vita AV can discuss your requirements and help you understand what would be involved.
Get in touch to talk through your project and find out what could work for your home.