Signature Smart Homes Botswana

A smart home is a regular home with an integrated automation system.

Automation, or home automation, is the process of connecting all the electronic devices in your home onto one system – allowing your home to automatically run itself.  An automated home, or smart home, will enable you to control your lighting, climate, entertainment, cinema room, tv’s, multiroom audio system, security and additional electronic appliances off one unified system.  Home automation allows all your audio visual equipment to work off one centralised unit, allowing for easy control.

With a smart home, you can monitor and control your home’s electronic devices off your smartphone, remote, voice control or wall control panels creating a simple, yet luxurious, easy-to-use system.

A Home Automation system is the perfect blend of simplicity and luxury. Integrating automation into your home allows you to create your ideal living conditions that are all controlled from one app one your smartphone.

Adjust your lighting, monitor your home, manage access to your home with smart locks, seamlessly distribute background music throughout your home using in-ceiling/in-wall speakers or outdoor garden speakers, and control your entertainment all on one system.

Home Automation will also allow for preset scenes – enabling your home to work according to your routine. Each morning you can wake up with the lights gently brightening, your favourite playlist starting and the curtains opening. In the evenings, your lights will can turn off, the doors can lock, the garage door can close and all your appliances can be turned off – all with the press of one button.

ENHANCED SAFETY & SECURITY

Nothing against residential security systems—they may do a great job of protecting your home and family. But when working hand-in-hand with a home automation system, home security systems can provide an even higher level of safety. For example, typically when an alarm trips, the security system will notify the provider (sometimes after 30 seconds or even a minute) who will then need to contact you. When tied to your automation system, you can receive a text message the instant that there is unauthorized access to your home. The automation system can also zero in on the breach by linking the nearest surveillance camera to your smartphone. From your smartphone, you can then view the situation and react accordingly. We can allow it to trigger the television to come on and display your CCTV if your alarm has been activated. We are even able to programme your outdoor lighting to flash when your alarm is activated – deterring criminals from your home.

INSTANT STATUS

Did the kids leave the lights on in the game room downstairs? Are there any windows open in the master bedroom? Did your teenager remember to close the garage door? A home automation system keeps tabs on happenings in and around your house and can share that information with you, both while you’re at home and when you’re miles away on a vacation or business trip. Real-time status reports can be viewed on a variety of user interfaces, including the screen of a smartphone, tablet, TV, or touch screen. Using this information, you’ll be able to respond appropriately. For example, an automation system can be programmed so that touching one button on the kitchen tablet will turn off every light and entertainment component left on in the game room.

COMFORT & EFFICIENCY

Keeping a home at its most comfortable state while still being mindful of energy use can be a challenge when you’re forced to adjust thermostats, position draperies, and turn on and off lights manually. Based on parameters that are pre-programmed into a smart home automation system by a professional, the thermostats can lower at night and all lights can turn off right before bedtime to save energy. An hour before you wake up the thermostat can adjust so that the house is comfortable the second you step out of bed. Meanwhile, the lights in the kitchen can turn on, the shades in the living room can open, all while your bedroom music slowly wakes you up, raising in volume over a 10 minute span of time.

OVERALL ENJOYMENT

Home automation applications allow you to be in control of how you want your home to function; whether you want added relaxation or to transform your home into an entertainment oasis—or somewhere in between—it’s entirely up to you. For example, from the smartphone, tablet, keypad or touchscreen you use to monitor and operate the lights, thermostats and other electronic gear, you can tell your home’s music system to deliver songs from your favorite Internet radio station to speakers in the family room and kitchen. Later, you and your guests might convene in the media room where with one tap of a button the lights fade, the shades lower, and the A/V system sets up to present a movie on a big projection screen.

Automated Lighting

A lighting automation system is a smart, network-based lighting solution where all lights and all switches are integrated into one controlled system. This allows the lights and switches to be programmed any which way you please.

Today’s light switch is so much more than just a button to switch on and off a light. It is an Xperience maker, and a must for every modern household.

Automated Security

Imagine a complete automated security system that will send you live alerts when someone enters your home, the garage door is left open, or your windows blow open from the wind. Get peace of mind at your fingertips and rest assured that all is safe with Intelligent Security.

These are some must-haves when it comes to automated security for your home – smart locks, smart sensors, Control4 Intercom and CCTV & Security Systems.

Automated Entertainment

Multiroom audio systems enable you to play audio from multiple sources in designated areas of your home. In essance, these systems will allow users the freedom to stream music from a variety of music and audio platforms throughout the home, or in one specific room, all through one easy to use interface.

These systems are controlled off your home network via a Smartphone or Tablet – creating a soundtrack for everyday life.

Automated Cinema Rooms

Control your entire cinema xperience with your smartphone! Cinema automation aspects include controlling your lighting, curtains, projector, screen and the volume of your home theatre system from your phone.  Why stop there? You can control your entire home, from your Cinema Room, without leaving your seat.

If you are asking yourself if spending money on automation will increase the selling value of your home, the answer is yes.

Home automation is fast becoming a must-have feature in every home, a feature that also adds maximum value in the selling stages. Automation maximizes efficiency and increases security, something that every home-buyer is looking for in a world filled with anxiety and pressure.

Automation offers home-buyers the opportunity to save on future utilities bills, as well as insurance costs, while at the same time enabling more convenient living. It’s a win-win, all around.

And more than that – you get to enjoy all the perks of the automation yourself until you are ready to sell (Disclaimer: We suspect that you might like the automation so much that you decide to never leave!)

Home Automation can save you energy and make your home more energy efficient.  Here are some of the ways in which you can save money in your home.

Home Lighting Control

Lighting is another area that contributes to much of your expense. That’s because more often than not, the lighting of a home is extremely inefficient. Energy expenses can rise due to leaving lights on when you move in and out of rooms, and when you forget to switch off the lights before leaving your home.

Using time-based lighting automated technologies is an effective way of curbing the expenses at home. For instance, home lighting control can be optimized to switch off on a schedule, making sure that the lights in your home only turn on when you need them.

Full Electric Control

Sometimes there’s just not enough time to run around the house to make sure all of the lights and electric appliances that aren’t in use are turned off. We get that. Once you automate your home, you won’t have to run around checking your appliances, room temperature and just about everything that runs on electricity. Smart home automation allows you to have complete control over your entire home, from the home theater system, to the garden sprinklers and even the security system.

When it comes to home automation, the cost is completely dependent on the level of automation you would like to integrate into your home.

The grander the automation, the more expensive the integration, however smaller systems are very reasonable for the amount of automation you are able to achieve.
We recommend being realistic when budgeting for your project, however we will work together with you to make your budget work. We are passionate about what we do and will ensure that your system will last for many years to come – so this is not an area where you want to skimp.

If you can dream it, we can do it.  With smart technology, the possibilities are endless.  Our automation brand of choice is Control4, which stands for Control 4 everything.  Control4 is able to control any electronic device in your home, regardless of how big or small.

We would recommend starting with lighting automation, security automation and entertainment automation.

Taking a step-by-step approach to creating your smart home is essential. The possibilities are endless when it comes to home automation, therefore it is important to decide what you would like out of your home automation system.

STEP 1: DECIDING WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM

In most households, an automation system can make a huge positive impact, but only if you first determine which areas of your life could benefit the most from the technology. Do you envision it as a solution to your family’s exorbitant use of electricity? Or perhaps you see it as a way to better manage your busy household? Or maybe it’s simply the ability to incorporate music into every room of your house. Think about the areas of your home and life that could use improving or added enjoyment. Having a well-defined focus can help when it comes time to select and design an automation system for your home.

STEP 2: VISIT OUR SHOWROOM

If you’re unsure of what you really want out of an automation system, or even if you already have a fairly good idea, be sure to visit our showroom – The Xperience Centre. Here you’ll be able to experience the technology first hand, get the full picture of its capabilities, see how it enhances the look and feel of a room, and try out the controls for yourself. These demos—whether in a real home or simulated—will make it easier to envision a system in your own home and will likely introduce you to new features and functions you may have not have previously considered. You’ll also gather a sense of how the technology can be integrated in a way that complements your home’s design and décor.

STEP 3: BOOK A CONSULTATION

Once you have good idea of what you might like to accomplish in your automated home, it’s time to sit down with one of our awesome team members to implement your killer ideas. We are here to walk you through the process to help you create your dream smart home.

STEP 4: INITIAL HOUSE CALL

After your first consultation, we will have a pretty good idea of the type of system and products we would recommend for your house; however, it’s only after a visit to your home that we will be certain of the best course of action. The size, structure and design of your home, whether it’s being built or already finished, and the devices and systems that you may already have, will all impact the decision on which types of technology to incorporate; for example, hardwired or wireless, types of subsystems, special features, etc. During this first visit to your home we would like to walk through the entire residence and inspect areas like closets for locations to stow equipment and run cabling. Before or after the tour of your home, expect very direct questions about the sorts of features you’d like to incorporate.

STEP 5: GET A COST ESTIMATE

After touring the home and gathering more information about the needs of you and your family, we will be able to recommend systems and provide a quote for materials and labor.

STEP 6: DESIGN & PRE-WIRE

Believe it or not, a big part of an automation project can be handled right at our offices. Based on the conversations you’ve had with us our amazing team will run the necessary cabling. This can take a day or a few weeks depending on the scope of the project and the types of products being installed. Often during the design and pre-wire phase, we may also be “racking” your system. This involves placing all of the various controllers, amplifiers, switchers and other gear within the shelves of a specialty equipment rack. Depending on the size of the project, we may choose to dress the rack at their office where they can test the system before installing it in your home.

STEP 7: EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION

After the system has been designed and configured and the necessary cabling fished behind the walls, we will be ready to install the automation components. This will likely include an equipment rack, as well as keypads, touch screens, speakers, TVs … basically anything attached to the walls, ceilings or floors. At this point, it’s just a matter of hooking everything up and trimming it out by patching drywall, applying fascias to flat-panel TVs and painting over built-in speakers.

STEP 8: TRAINING

Learning to use your system is very straight forward. We will arrange an on-site meeting with our technical manager to walk you through the process of using your phone, touch screen or some other device to control the different parts of your home. Not only will this help familiarize you with the system, but will also give you a chance to voice any concerns. Maybe the lights in the “Good Morning” scene seem too bright or the music in the den sounds a little harsh. Be sure to mention these issues at the time of the initial walk through; we will be able to tweak any issues on the fly with minor programming modifications to the software.

STEP 9: FOLLOW-UP

As you use your system, you will likely discover parts of the system you’d like to change. This is fairly typical, and shouldn’t be an issue. Be sure to contact us so that we can make minor modifications and additions to your system.

STEP 9: UPGRADING YOUR SYSTEM

If you would like to add any additional devices or upgrade your system we will be able to assist. Even larger additions, like the integration of a swimming pool or the distribution of audio to a new wing of your house can usually be handled by our incredible team.