You’ve decorated your home with all the coolest SmartHome products and now you’re moving in. What to do with all those cute smart houses?
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It’s easy to settle in and settle into a new home (and you should!), but there’s always the option of moving into the future, even if you think you’re in your forever home. If you ever decide to move, there are a number of things you need to do, but what about all your smart home gear? There are a couple of options at your disposal, as well as some things to consider for the future.
Leave the mechanism behind and use it as a negotiating tool
SmartHome devices are expensive, and if you furnish your entire home with all sorts of fun SmartHome toys, it will add thousands of dollars of extra value to your home, which can be a great negotiating tool when it’s time to sell.
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Of course, it really depends on the buyer and whether they are interested in SmartHome devices at all. But if so, you may have the upper hand when it comes time to negotiate the final price for your crib, and there are several different ways to deal with this.
The easiest way would be to negotiate a specific amount of cash you would like to receive from the seller in exchange for all your smart home gear, or you could just include it in the price of the house. Be prepared to provide a detailed list of each SmartHome device, and don’t be surprised if the buyer wants to negotiate each device one at a time.
Keep in mind, however, that using your SmartHome devices as a negotiating tool only really works if the buyer is interested in it all at all. If you have a buyer who doesn’t give a damn, you should either accept the loss or simply remove everything and bring it with you to your new home.
Take it all with you
The last thing you probably want to think about when selling your home is taking the time to undo all the hard work you put in installing your SmartHome devices, but if you couldn’t come to an agreement with the seller, it’s probably for the best.
If you do this, you’ll still want to talk to the buyer about whether you’ll be or be responsible for him replacing any of the smarthome devices with their goofy counterparts. Switching back to regular light switches or thermostats are a good example of this.
Again, there are several ways you could negotiate this, such as making the buyer pay for the replacement and the time to replace them, or just leaving it all up to the buyer to take care of themselves. Be aware, however, that in some area the seller is responsible for fixing anything deemed attached to the home. Leaving a heating and cooling system without a working thermostat might just not take off.
Always remember the exit strategy
When it comes down to it, it’s best to always keep the future in mind and assume that you may have to remove some of your SmartHome devices in the future.
When my wife and I were shopping for our first home, our real estate agent always told us to have an «exit strategy». That is, since this is our first home, it probably won’t be our last, so it’s important that we do something for the home to improve its resale value once we decide to upgrade to a better home in the future.
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The same can be said when you install all SmartHome devices, albeit in a different sense. For example, when you install your smart thermostat, smart light switches, or anything else for that matter, always ask yourself questions like, “How can I make it easier for myself or the next homeowner when this might need to be removed? »
And if you’re drilling holes in the wall to run cable for cameras or whatever, it’s always a good idea to keep it as clean and compliant as possible in case you or a future home owner decide to remove any of those things — the last thing you what you want to do is try to fix the mess you’ve created to appease the inspector when you’re selling your home.
It’s also probably a good idea to keep any of the old components, like dumb switches or thermostats, so you can reinstall them in the future instead of buying new ones.
Make things easier for yourself right from the start
I know it can be tempting to replace all your light switches with nifty smart versions and use built-in security cameras throughout your home, but there are other options that are easier to install (and remove when that time comes).
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For example, instead of connecting smart light switches, you can choose smart bulbs. They are as easy to replace as screwing on a light bulb—literally. They can be a little more expensive than smart light switches, but when it comes time to move, you have to do a lot less work.
You can also use battery powered security cameras instead of running power cables all over the place. The Netgear Arlo Pro system is an excellent choice, and the battery lasts several months on a single charge.
In the end, it’s up to you how you want to put together your smart home, and a lot of it depends on how comfortable you are with certain tasks (such as electrical work and various household chores). Just remember that you may not be living in the same house forever, and think about how your smart home gear might be affected when it’s time to move out.
