Is Your Home Tech Savvy?

Updating the cosmetic features of a home is a great way to prepare it for a future sale.  However, tech savvy buyers are attracted to homes which feature the latest technology offerings.  Take time to evaluate the "tech" status of your home.  Consider these upgrades that will make life easier now and will give you an advantage over the competition when it comes time to sell.

The phrase structured wiring is a term used to describe wiring that will efficiently distribute a variety of data signals throughout the home.  That sounds complicated but refers to signals including cable TV and telephone, as well as ethernet computer networks.  The wiring system differs from previous schematics because of the amount of data it will be required to transmit, as well as the monitoring and control of functions it will provide.  It can serve current needs and can be expanded to serve a family's needs several years down the road.

The mechanics of structured wiring are similar to that of a homes electrical system.  Just as electricity flows into the home and is distributed via aa circuit breaker box, external data lines come into the home and are connected to a central control box.  The circuit breaker box and the data control box are even roughly the same size.  They are often housed in a similar location as well, such as aa utility closet.

From the data control box, bundles of wires are run through the walls of the house to different rooms.  One advantage of this system includes the capability of playing a DVD in one location of the home, but being able to watch it on an unused channel from any room monitor in the house.

When it comes to a home computer network, this data configuration can easily accommodate all users in a household.  The control box correctly routes data to individual consumers, allowing multiple users to share a single broadband connection with no interference.

Other functions that might be integrated into a structured wiring system include residential security and home automation systems that can be controlled remotely.

Some systems make it possible for homeowners to turn on heating or cooling systems remotely, or pre-heat the oven all with the push of a button on their cellular device.  One green option that may be very attractive to homeowners is the ability to control window shades remotely.  When the sun begins to heat up the house, the shades covering the windows on the east side of the home lower.  As sunlight moves around the home, the corresponding shades lower throughout the day.

Monitoring systems are being produced that can be sensitive to energy consumption for particular electrical outlets and utilities such as gas and water, allowing homeowners to make changes in their usage to save energy and dollars.

Although installation of structured wiring constitutes a major home renovation, it offers many advantages to the homeowner, and can be a real selling point when a home is placed on the market in the future.