Smart doorbells are among the cutting-edge home technology installed by Davis & Green Electrical. (Photo by Tyler Darden)
Today’s homeowners have an abundance of technology quite literally at their fingertips. Security, temperature and lighting can all be managed from a smartphone or a central indoor control panel. While individuals might disagree on what matters most, one element underpins all others: internet access.
“It really all starts with a good solid network — we can’t stress that enough,” says Brian Moseley, director of technology for Moseley Electronics in Midlothian. “It’s the backbone of technology in a home. Everything sits on the network now.”
Before the pandemic, Moseley says, the average residential network load was doubling or even tripling, thanks to family members’ use of streaming services. This year’s surge of at-home schooling and work has ratcheted up the need for reliable Wi-Fi. “We’ve done more network installs in 2020 than in the previous two years combined,” he says.
After networks, lighting is the most requested install, Moseley says. “It’s come so far, and you don’t have to replace fixtures or rewire the house,” he adds. “You just put in ‘smart’ switches, and you can set themes for certain times of the day, so you have a scene for cooking dinner or you can control outdoor lights according to the astronomical clock.”
When building a new home, it’s wise to plan ahead for future technology needs. “People should contact someone in this industry as their house is being built, even if they’re not installing everything right away,” Moseley says. “That will save people untold amounts of money.”
Local builder HHHunt Homes offers a SimpliFi package in new construction that includes Wi-Fi, a Ring Pro video doorbell, a smart thermostat and a smart deadbolt door lock, and Lutron light controls. Technology can also be added to existing homes, notes Sarah Pierce, designer and draftsperson for Lane Homes & Remodeling. “People are talking about [technology],” she says. “It’s always better to include when you’re building or remodeling, [but] it’s not too difficult to add as long as you have good Wi-Fi.”
Brian Moseley of Moseley Electronics (Photo by Ash Daniel)
Wayne Gauthier, 2020 president of the Richmond Association of Realtors (RAR) and a Realtor with Joyner Fine Properties, says his members are seeing new construction that offers digital whole-house networks able to control everything from door locks to thermostats to surround-sound systems. “Everybody wants to control so much from their cellphone,” he says. “It’s about convenience. If the dog walker comes to my house, I can let him in.”
Gauthier says current limited home inventory means homes can’t be excluded from consideration just because they don’t have technology. “[Buyers] don’t have a lot of choices right now,” he notes. But internet access is a deal breaker, says incoming 2021 RAR President Libby Gatewood, who has many clients in Chesterfield and the Tri-Cities area and notes that more rural lots may not have high-speed service.
“Today’s world demands internet access, and it’s the first question buyers ask,” she says, adding that some tech items can be installed later, because each feature brings its own price tag, and those costs add up.
“We all have needs and wants,” she says. “It’s about finding out what [customers] really need.”
