5 Reasons to visit a smart home showroom

Before investing thousands into a home automation system, you might like to visit a smart home showroom. Yet you hesitate as you only have a beer budget with champagne tastes! However, we’d encourage you to talk to dealers and visit your local smart home showroom.

 

The home automation market continues to grow rapidly. According to Statista, by 2026, the smart home market will be valued at £12 billion. And as more of us use the latest technology to simplify life, talking with a smart home dealer is becoming even more essential.

 

The top reason to visit a smart home showroom is to gain a better understanding and hands-on experience with the various automation systems available. For most people, visiting a local smart home installer can be an invaluable experience.

 

Online research is worthwhile, but nothing compares to hands-on experience! So you’ll want to visit the nearest home automation showroom, even if it’s to indulge your inner geeky child!

 

Here are 5 reasons to visit a smart home showroom and talk to your local dealer, even if you decide on a DIY system.

 

 

#1 Experience a smart home in real life

Watching endless YouTube videos from brands and other users’ smart home systems is fun. You’re not wasting time by watching these videos. They provide a valuable insight into what’s possible. However, they can be theoretical, as you can’t experience the technology yourself.

 

Thankfully, we’re not short of smart home dealers in the UK. There are hundreds of them, and many have showrooms. So, if you want to invest in Control4, Savant, or Crestron, you’re in luck. Sadly, there isn’t a UK Fibaro showroom just yet!

 

Don’t worry if you don’t have a 6-figure budget. It’s still worth spending time visiting a smart home showroom, especially at the beginning, as you’ll be able to experience a system in real life.

 

In a high-end showroom, the dealer will guide you. They’ll show you the features you’re considering and explain the different systems they offer. It’s not about high pressured sales tactics but education. So, don’t feel intimidated or that someone will force you to make a purchase.

 

Visiting a showroom is more than being wowed by the latest technology or how fancy a system’s advanced features are. Instead, it’s about imagining yourself living with a home automation system and how it will change your life.

 

Online research has its place. But nothing compares to experiencing how smart lighting, multi-room audio video, and basic automations can impact your life. Plus, it’s fun to play with the latest smart devices!

 

 

 

 

#2 Discover the opportunities provided by smart home technology

The typical home automation showroom mixes a few elements. They usually have a demonstration area; set up like an apartment. You’ll see a wall display of devices, options, and finishes. And finally, a back office.

 

As your home automation installer guides you around the showroom, you’ll have the opportunity to get hands-on with the technology, experiment with different systems and trial several devices.

 

Exploring a system in this way, with help you:

• Solidify your requirements
• Choose the ideal manufacturer for you
• Explore a range of smart devices
• Discover new features you never knew you needed yet can’t live without!

 

For example, you may visit a smart home showroom to explore automating your window treatments and lights. But you quickly realise how easy it is to build a system that incorporates home security, a cinema system with surround sound, and multiple zones of heating control.

 

 

#3 Gather inspiration from the latest innovations

Technology develops at lightning speed, and the home automation industry is the same. It’s constantly evolving and developing. New products, solutions, and software are released daily. And some are game-changing.

 

As a fast-moving sector, keeping your finger on the pulse can be tricky. So talking with an expert is one way to navigate the new developments without losing your mind or ending up confused!

 

When you visit a smart home showroom, you can get up close and personal with several systems and a range of devices. But you’ll also have an expert on hand to educate you and help you make informed decisions. They will guide you based on their real-world experience.

 

So, whether you’re considering upgrading your home security system, want to try automated lighting, or thinking about adding a bespoke home cinema solution, your visit will help you better understand what’s possible and how the market is changing to meet the current users’ demands.

 

 

 

 

#4 Decide on your ideal home automation system

Each smart home system operates slightly differently. So, you might prefer one brand over others. You can’t make this decision only using online research. So you need to experience several systems before settling on your ideal brand.

 

Also, visiting a home automation dealer’s showroom will encourage you to think deeply about what you want and enable you to narrow down your options.

 

Before you visit, you might feel like there are too many options. You can’t force yourself to decide between Crestron, Lightwave, Control4, Fibaro, and Savant! So you need help to choose the right state of the art smart home automation system.

 

By getting hands-on experience of several smart technology brands, you’ll better understand the ideal system for your lifestyle, property, and budget. You’ll find the entire decision process that much easier.

 

 

#5 Decide if you need an installer or can DIY

Another reason to visit a smart home showroom is to meet the person who designs, installs, and configures home automation projects daily. You can’t easily acquire that level of knowledge without years on the job.

 

Of course, their job is to convince you to buy a complete system using their company. But they’ll be able to explain the entire process to you and help you understand the risks, pitfalls, or complexities of a DIY install.

 

More than that, meeting a smart home integrator in their showroom is a great way to get a feel for how they work as a business. If you have the budget to work with a dealer who can handle your entire project, you’ll need to decide who is your ideal installer.

 

Choosing the right smart home integrator is no easy task, especially if you’re new to smart home technology. While you should trust your gut, here are some questions you should ask:

• Are they experienced in delivering similar projects to yours?
• Have you been in business long?
• Do they have professional, qualified staff who know what they’re talking about?
• Do they have insurance in place, and what’s covered?
• Can you talk with previous clients?
• Are projects completed within the agreed timelines?
• Do they offer good value for money?
• Are 12 months of support included?

 

Meeting with a dealer will enable you to ask those questions; and any others you may have while helping you decide. Again trust your gut and ask to speak to previous clients.

 

 

 

 

So, why visit a smart home showroom?

You now know why you should visit a smart home showroom. Firstly, visiting dealers can help you move from a basic understanding of what home automation offers to really knowing how it will change your life and what features you have to have.

 

You can try out different state of the art systems as most dealers offer several manufacturers. Plus, they are willing to explain the differences between them. After you visit a smart home showroom, you’ll have a better idea of what your ideal system looks like and how it functions.

 

Finally, if you have the budget to hand your project over to the professionals, visiting a smart home showroom gives you the chance to interview installers who might end up working on your home and be able to build trust with them before spending a small fortune.