Smart homes are the way of the future, and they are available now.

If you understand how they’re designed and built, and what their benefits are, you’ll have an advantage over others in your industry, and your business will benefit.

Designers and tradespeople

The smart niche market

Demand is growing for people with skills in, and knowledge about, smart design and building. This demand will continue to grow as consumers become more informed and demand warm, dry, comfortable, resource efficient homes and environmentally-friendly building practices. Manufacturers will continue to respond with smart products and technology that consumers will expect you to know about.

Smarter Homes is aimed mainly at consumers who will be increasingly informed, so you will need to stay informed too. Smarter Homes can be used by professionals to get an overview of the smart trends in home building, renovation and maintenance with more detailed technical information available from BRANZ.

Compliance will be easier

Local and central government are increasingly requiring sustainability to be considered when a home is being designed and built. These requirements will increase following the Building Code review.

If you understand smart design and building practices now, you’ll be better positioned to deal with any future changes in compliance requirements.

Electricians

Designing smart homes and living in a smart way can drastically reduce demand for electricity, and its associated costs. Smarter Homes can help you advise your clients on:

• which lighting is the most energy efficient and where and how to use the different options
• the best way to a warmer, healthier home through efficient space heating
• different water heating options available that reduce power bills and environmental impact
• how to choose energy efficient home appliances

Plumbers

You are already helping homeowners reduce their impact on the environment by installing dual flush toilets and ensuring hot water systems comply with the Building Code. Smarter Homes can help you advise clients to go further than minimum requirements with suggestions on:

• low-flow fittings to reduce the amount of potable water that goes straight down the drain
• tank rainwater collection to reduce pressure on the stormwater system
• alternative ways to manage grey water to reduce the amount of potable water used for non-drinking purposes
• plumbing that helps manage hot water use.

Designers and builders

Recent research suggests that homeowners currently expect designers or builders to know about smart design issues and options, often deferring to them in decision-making.

This means if you can advise on, design or build smart homes, you have a significant competitive advantage.

Smarter Homes can help you explain to clients:

• passive design principles and how you can apply them to building new homes and renovating existing homes
• how treating the home as a whole and integrated system at the design stage will mean it functions efficiently during its life - by investing time at the beginning your clients save costs further down the track!
• that materials choices can have an impact on their home?s air quality and their impact on the environment around them.

Landlords, investors and real estate agents

Renters stay longer in smart homes

A New Zealand study showed that renters in Whakatane stayed four times longer in houses with retrofitted insulation and hot water cylinder wraps. Payback times for the insulation were estimated to be less than five years. Renters staying longer means fewer interruptions to your cash flow.

Smart homes sell for more

International research suggests re-sale values for low-energy homes are much higher than for other homes. This stands to reason: smart homes are better to live in.

Fitting smart features to your rental or investment property adds value to your asset.

Councils reward smart developers

Auckland City Council currently offers a rainwater tank rebate of $1000 for applicants paying a Development Contribution.

Waitakere City Council offers up to $2000 off the Development Contribution paid by developers based on a number of sustainability considerations.

These types of schemes are likely to increase when the Building Code Review is completed and smart features become part of compliance regulations.