1. Web based control of home functions

The average person’s modern lifestyle is very busy. Turning off every light and appliance
before leaving your home can be time consuming. In addition, effectively managing the climate of
your home when you are away can be very difficult. Setting home climate to a comfortable
temperature for arrival seemed like a dream for most of our customers when explained. With a home
automation system and a hand held Internet ready device like an iPhone or iPad, you can control your entire
house while away and set in-home climate just in time for your arrival.  Those customers with vacation homes have also enjoyed installing outdoor cameras so that they could monitor the house and use the camera's to take a look at their happy place.  These camera's are also useful when you have to open a gate for a delivery or just check to see who stopped in.

2. Automation and Control systems as an investment

Automation systems of the past were a luxury. Automation systems of today are an investment
showing return through energy reduction, knowledge of energy usage and time saving automated actions like lighting control, solar energy utilization, irrigation management and climate control.  A good home automation installer should also be able to guide you on how to save money on your cable and energy bill with a couple of quick tips.

Today’s home automation consumers understand that properly designed automation systems
integrated with energy conservation technology such as solar, geothermal and lighting control
systems can pay for themselves over time. 

A recent survey conducted by CEDIA/NAHB  revealed that 86 percent of homebuilders say home technologies are important in marketing new homes.  Smart Home’s often raise retail values 125% of the cost of installation. .

3. Surveillance and Security

Being able to automate your life is great but using home automation to ensure the safety of your
loved ones is a recently popular request. Enabling your home to send you a text message when your
child or loved one arrives has recently been our most popular request. Surveillance monitoring also
enables a live video feed over a web based device allowing you to view your house, gate, entry or
exterior at any time but most importantly, when you receive that text message. Communicating over
the surveillance systems is invaluable.

4. Creating an Affordable Home theater System

It has never been more affordable to create a luxurious home theater system in any room of the house.   Flat screen TV prices are at an all time low.  The average size of new homes has shrunk with buyer focus on technology.  Home owners are looking to increase room decor, enhance in-house entertainment and best utilize space.

1. Communication is Key- maintain trade partner agreements prior to engaging in a construction partnership

Trade partner price agreements should be maintained by payment draw schedules agreed upon by both the builder and the trade partner.  Establish a contractual pricing agreement with payment terms and have your trade partners endorse it.  An endorsed price agreement will help to establish line item budgets for your job cost management and guide cash requirement obligations.  Well documented and established price and payment agreements also help trade partners manage cash flow positions and grow their companies.  Payment terms should be honored when a job is completed per scope.  Prompt payment based on payment terms should allow you to keep quality trade partners and maximize the best price agreements.  Remember, this is a partnership and both the builder and the trade partner have entered the partnership to make money. 


2. Join and play an active role in your local homebuilder association

Playing an active role in your local builders association will provide you and your company many benefits including but not limited to the following:

* Networking
* Education
* Valuable legislation knowledge and a vice to steer it
* Industry updates
* A competitive advantage
* Membership at the state and national level

Most homebuilder associations recommend that builders do business with associate members.  Being involved in the association will allow you to establish many relationships that will ultimately help your business.  Most associations provide member directories for both builders and associates.  You should take advantage of those directories when hiring local trade partners.  Trade partners that are involved in homebuilders associations will prove to be accountable business partners.


3. Disallow your trade partners to invoice you  

This may be the hardest policy to implement.  Believe it or not, properly managing your business will take the place of trade partner invoicing and eliminate work for both parties.  Once you have established a good working relationship with a trade partner, you should treat that trade partner with the same respect as you would treat a valuable employee.  Provide them with the tools necessary to perform their job efficiently so they can make a profit.  Maintaining contractual agreements with trade partners allows you to use that information to pre-define work agreements for specific construction tasks.  Most enterprise management systems for homebuilders will allow you to do this.  Purchase Order driven software systems will allow you to move to a PO system and eventually a paperless work environment.  Click here for an example of a software company offering a great all in one software enterprise solution .  Approval of the working agreements, usually defined as work orders and purchase orders should:
                   
* Take the place of manually created vendor invoices
* Eliminate price agreement conflicts
* Maximize the book keeping processes for both your accounting department and the trade partners business
* Allow you to run a paperless operation

4. Establish a bid process that integrates with your back office

Provide you trade contractors with a web based area to retrieve the latest and greatest plans when bidding a house or house type.  There are many factors that may prevent streamlined bidding if you are emailing large plans.  There are size limitations to all email programs.  SPAM guards may also prevent the delivery of plans.  Pre-printing plans may become expensive. 

Once a builder gets a set of plans to a trade partner they usually leave it up to them to return pricing.  It is critical for a builder to provide a template for the trade contractor to follow when bidding.  This is usually best done in Excel and is best setup by the payment draws that the trade contractor expects.

* Provide a web portal for plan pickup
* Provide a detailed spreadsheet designed for a trade partner to look at house plans and enter bids
    

5. Implement an accurate construction schedule

Your trade partners must be kept informed of the status of a project and your expectation of their availability.  Trade partners rely on a projected workload when establishing their available resources.  Providing trade partners with a projected and accurate up to date schedule will help them manage the resources to complete tasks expected of them and provide you with a quality product. a predefined and maintained schedule is the only way for a trade partner to project work load and cash flow.


6. Educate your trade partners on your processes, procedures and technology

Good trade partners remain knowledgeable in regard to their specific line of work.  Good builders remain knowledgeable on the entire process of producing quality products.  Builders should educate trade partners on the operations of their business creating a team environment and encouraging trade partner to produce time and time again.  If you are using technology to run your business from the field, keep your trade partners informed of process changes/advancements.  Make sure they are properly trained on any tools offered.  Well trained trade partners will help you maximize the investment that you have made in the specific tool of choice.


7. Clearly define a detailed check list for every task required of the trade partner

If your policy is to hold payment from trade partners for a job not done per specification you should provide the trade partner with the specific details of the requirement.  Human beings are molded to follow direction from a very young age.  Some individuals are not very detail oriented.  That usually means that they will leave the details out of requested tasks.  Minimize this by providing the details for every trade partner.  Let trade partners know if you require a specific angle on a cut or a special type of material or a specific order of task completion during the initial phases of the relationship.  Make this part of the scope of work to the contract or provide an addendum referring to specific construction tasks.  The National Association of Homebuilders has established a special certification for trade partners to review industry specific standards (NHQ- Nation Housing Quality).  Hiring NHQ certified trade partners will improve quality and help your project supers mange more trades.  Some scheduling software products have an NHQ checklist incorporated with them.  Check with your software provider for details.  You may also research the NHQ certification program for both builders and trade contractors by clicking here .


8. Establish a trade partner counsel

Be open to well established partnerships with trade partners working in a counsel format.  Your quality and craftsmanship in the industry is dependent on the work of your trade partners.  Some of the most successful and well recognized builders across the country have implemented this concept. 

For one… using an electrician or security company to run wires creates problems for the customer because those companies are not responsible for the usage of the technology going through those wires. Comcast, DIRECTV, and Verizon are. That's where the practical problems occur. After closing, the customer loves their new house and orders their cable/Internet package and expects the service provider to just "make it work". 

Let us tell you a story referring to real life situations witnessed first-hand by a cable TV contractor meeting with a happy new homeowner:


When I get there, I do the walk through and get an idea where they want all their equipment. Usually, they have a new 42" flat screen sitting on the floor waiting for me to put it together. Then, the typical "I would like it installed over the fire place, please," or "Can you hang it on the wall over here?"  Of course the conversation turns bad because I have to inform them that it won't work today, because they are not set up for that kind of install. It will be extra money and a separate visit just to see if it's possible to even do it (after the electrician post wires to an outlet for them). I always start shaking my head and think to myself "Oh no," when they bring up the speaker wire for surround sound.

So then we move over to the kitchen. "I would like a TV on the counter please".  More bad news, Mr and Mrs. Happy New Homeowner.  Since your house wasn't pre-wired, and because your house is on a slab, you can't have it there unless you want me to wrap a wire around the kitchen and staple it to the side of the cabinet and drape it along the top of your new counter top. If you prefer, I could cut a few holes in your nice new wall.  If I haven’t been thrown out by this point, we move on to the internet conversation. "I would like the modem and router in my office, the hub in the basement, and the wireless in the living room.” Oh boy. Sorry. See, we need to hardwire all those devices together, and remember the problem in the kitchen? They have to be together in one room. Or we can come back another day to see if it's even possible.  I need to check out the liabilities, talk to the boss, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh yeah, it's going to cost more too. 

 We’re not off to a good start!

At this point I also bring up the things that they haven’t  mentioned  yet. Like the XBox live in the boy's room on the other side of the house.  Since the wireless access is on the other side of the house, the connection will frequently be lost. It doesn’t have anything to do with the current service provider, but it does need the Internet. Same thing for the Blu-ray, Netflix and the Internet ready T.V.s.
 Now wet do the install, get the equipment in, powered up and activated. All done, right? Nope, a quick flip through the channels shows a problem in the signal. Some recon work in the attic shows that all the wires are being crushed by the staples, and the cable wires are not shielded.

 [Now it's a bad day for all of us]

 Sorry sir. We need to replace all these wires to get the T.V.s to work right. Do you still remember the problem in the kitchen?
 It isn’t the builder’s fault, or your fault. It’s the service provider’s fault. Or is it?
 
If you ask me.....it's a design problem. Builders wrestle with cost saving techniques all of the time and in some cases it has an affect on the customer after closing.  The builder and design coordinator are counselors to the buyer looking out for their best interest during closing.  This is where implementing "Smart Home Integration" comes into play....

Drive through any development 2 years after the last house was sold. Notice the wires ran all over the sides of the houses? How could Comcast, Fios or DIRECTV willingly run wires like that? They had no choice; it wasn't pre-wired to adapt to current  and future technologies.

In some cases the builder may make it an option getting the following reaction from a buyer; "we don't need pre-wire in the kids room - she is only 4" or, "wireless Internet will handle everything so I will pass on the pre-wire". Well, I say your 4 year old will be in school before you know it, and she will need a PC with Internet access.  She will also want to utilize gaming systems, Netflix and many other digital technology features. Why not be ready for it. Wire is very inexpensive; the house should be pre-wired for every option so that when it's needed.....it's already there. It's great for everyone involved. The houses always look clean, the customer has what they need and the installer's job is reasonable and cost effective. Adding structural wiring to a home during construction has been shown to increase retail values up to 125 percent of the cost compared to the exact home without the pre-wire.

Telecom/data/audio/video are no longer things that "some" people want, they are things that are needed throughout everyone's house.  Every homebuyer should spend time with a structural wiring expert that is keenly aware of current and future digital technology advancements during the design process of a house.  Implementing a "Smart" structural wiring program prior to or during construction is much more cost effective then trying to find work arounds to implement new technology once moved in.  Most homebuyers have no idea how valuable a complete structural wiring package is until they need it after moving in or when new technology is introduced.

Meet with Smart Home Integration LLC today for a free consultation.

Click here to learn more about Smart Home Integration LLC  

The short answer in my opinion is plasma, but let me try and explain the differences in all of them. They all put up a nice picture depending on the screen size, but can also have handicaps.

LCD is the most cost effective. It weighs less, and consumes less power than plasma. The picture is great if the screen size is less than 40 inches. Once you go 42 inches and higher, it’s a lot easier to notice the flaws. The color black on LCDs looks more like gray, and it doesn't have the sharpest or brightest picture compared to plasma. 'Motion lag' or 'ghosting' (a shadow or blur that appears during shows with a lot of fast paced motion, like sports) is much more common on larger LCDs. LCD's don't have a glass screen, so reflection problems are not as bad as plasmas. If you only need a small television, 22"-32", LCD is probably the best.

LED is a glorified LCD. They are much improved over LCDs with color, sharpness, and brightness. They also made some advancements with the 'ghosting' problems during high motion scenes. Overall,  it’s a good television. Some of the 42-55"LED's that I've worked with can look just as good as a plasma, but being that they are still relatively new, they come at an ample cost.
Plasma is my top choice of television right now. The picture is great, regardless of screen size. The colors are brilliant, and unlike LCDs, the black is really black. It doesn't have high motion 'ghosting' problems, and the price is modest. However, it does have some flaws. First, it can give off some heat. If the plasma is in a smaller bedroom and you leave it on all night with the door closed, the room might feel a bit warmer when you wake up. They do draw more power than LCD's, so the electric bill might be a little higher. They are heavy. You’ll need help moving a 42" or bigger set. Some remotes can have trouble sending infrared signals past plasma televisions as well.

Three dimensional televisions look just as good as any other, even when they're not in 3D mode. The biggest problem I have with them are the glasses. If you have a party, only a few people get to enjoy the movie in 3D, and you need to be front and center of the screen for the best experience. When the television is on 3D mode, the viewers without glasses can only see a blurry picture. Motion sickness can also be a big problem for some people. I would recommend a lot of homework, and a few test runs at the store or showroom before making a 3D purchase.

Projection systems are the most cost effective solution to having a screen that’s bigger than 65". There have been some great advancements in HD projection technology, but they still have the most flaws of all. The biggest problem is the colors. It’s not easy to get a black image on a white screen. Any ambient light in the room will weaken the entire image quality. Installing a projector on a finished and/or sheet rocked ceiling would easily take an entire weekend. However, in a dark room with a nice audio system, an HD projector can bring an amazing experience to your home theater.

As far as brands go, I'm partial to LG for their overall bang for the buck, Panasonic for the cost effective bells and whistles, and Samsungs 8000 and 9000 series televisions for their overall quality.

Click here to learn more about Smart Home Integration LLC  and contact us if you would like to purchase a TV or if you are interested in any of our home automation services. 

 


We get asked this question all the time. Unfortunately, there is no straight answer. They all have some good things, and bad things to consider. All three offer T.V, High Definition(HD), phone, and Internet, with varying types of programming and Internet speed, and all have relative pricing. I'll try to list the pros and cons of each.

Let’s start with Comcast since right now it’s still number one in the market. I have it, and I do like it. We'll start with the pros. They do not have service contracts. So if you do encounter problems that can’t seem to be resolved, you can cancel at any time. The call center also does a fairly good job fielding calls. If you do need a service tech to come out, you can typically expect them the next day. Their programming is good and being there isn’t a bunch of duplicate channels, getting  through the entire guide doesn't take long. The picture quality is good. The HD lineup is good enough for most. All the major HD channels are there, and they continue to add channels throughout the year. Their 'On Demand' service has a great selection, and the DVR has plenty of space to record several shows and movies. The menus are easy to navigate, making recording your favorite shows simple. The Internet is fast with options to get up to 50mb download speeds, and of course the phone has all the bells and whistles.

The problem I have with Comcast is their old infrastructure, and recycled equipment. They could do a much better job keeping all their equipment up to date if they were willing to spend more on maintenance. The graphics on the menus and 'On Demand' look pretty bland. The HD lineup is not as good as Fios or DirecTV. The Internet speed will slow down as more people in the neighborhood get online throughout the day, the upload speed is horrible, no built in WIFI and the remotes don’t last more than a year or two.

DirecTV has really good programming, a ton of HD channels, a really nice DVR that you can program with your phone, and of course the NFL Ticket. The picture quality is arguably the best available, and the menu system is very easy to navigate.

Now for the cons, the obvious dish problems. If the dish is poorly installed, or if the line of sight is even partially blocked, the picture will constantly give you problems. The call center usually isn't helpful after they finally answer your call, and it usually takes a few days for someone to come out, should you need them to. They require service contracts with outrageous early termination fees, and they will not refund the NFL ticket cost, even if they could not get the service to work (We have first hand experience with that). It’s not easy to cancel regardless of the reason, and if they mess up the accounting, they might ask you to hand write a letter to corporate to resolve the problem because the call center people do not have access to change the account (really). DirecTV does not supply phone or Internet service, so they contracted Verizon to provide that, and that's a joke, at best.

Lastly we have Fios. It's basically the latest and greatest service available. The programming is great, the picture quality is great, the HD lineup is great, the menus are great, they have the multi room DVR, the Internet has the best upload and download speeds with built in WIFI, the phone has all the bells and whistles, and they're new. The infrastructure and equipment works well.

The most common problems are from the call center. It takes forever to get answered, and a few days to get a service tech to come out. They have improved with fielding calls and getting techs out quickly, but they're still not as good as Comcast. They require service contracts with high early termination fees, and their installers are paid by the hour, so the motivation to quickly resolve problems is lacking.

To sum it all up. Get Fios if it’s available in your area. You shouldn't be disappointed. If Fios isn't around yet, go with Comcast and wait until Fios comes around. You're going to pay more for Fios, and you may have to struggle with the call center, but in my opinion, it’s well worth it. Don't waste your time with DirecTV. If you need the NFL Ticket, get the bare bone programming along with the ticket, and have it installed next to the Fios, or Comcast box.

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