The Top 10 Things You Must Do To Upgrade Your Home Technology

9.  Add lighting control. 

 Lighting control allows all your lights to work together, and offers safety, security and convenience. Never arrive home to a dark house. When you pull into your driveway, your entire home will be perfectly lit just as if you had walked around room to room setting the lighting exactly as you wanted it. Individual scenes such as “Home,” “Dinner,” “Party,” “Cooking,” “Goodnight” and “Away” can be preset to fit the activity or time of day. When integrated by pros like us, the “Goodnight” scene will turn off all the lights, set the temperature, turn off the TV, lock the doors and close the garage door if left open.

8.  Install a multi-room sound system. 

 Stream your favorite music from online sources such as Pandora and Spotify throughout your house and by your pool with a multi-room sound system from either Sonos or Savant that will. Pair these with architectural-grade speakers from B&W that are hidden in walls and ceilings. These will deliver incredible sound quality and will not detract from the aesthetic of your home. Outdoor speakers by Sonance and Coastal Source can be concealed in the planting areas or even under water in your pool.

7.  Upgrade your interior ceiling lights. 

 Replace your old ceiling lights with the new generation of high-quality LED lights. Upgrading with higher quality fixtures instead of the cheap fixtures available from the big-box stores will dim more completely and more naturally to mimic the sun’s intensity and color temperature. Good lighting will make your artwork pop and has been associated with health benefits and better sleep habits.

6.  Install landscape lighting. 

 Why retreat indoors once the sun goes down? The idyllic weather in Florida makes it inviting to spend most of our time outdoors. A professionally-designed landscape lighting system lets you enjoy your property at night and beautifully accentuates the lush tropical outdoors. We recommend Coastal Source landscape lighting because it is designed to withstand Florida’s harsh climate and has a lifetime guarantee.

5.  Install security cameras. 

 Keep an eye on your property when you are out of town. Check on hurricanes, intruders and the pool and lawn service people. Make sure you get a network video recorder (NVR) in order to look back upon events that may have happened in the past. If you are in residence and you hear a bump in the night, you can check your camera on your smart phone for peace of mind.

4.  Control all your technology with a single app. 

Every system for your home comes with its own app. A home control system consolidates all of these into one easy to use app. Savant makes the best home control system with a simple user interface and the most Apple friendly design.

3.  Turn your family room into a home theater. 

Recreate the movie-going experience in your family room by upgrading your TV and sound system. With major studios releasing films directly to homes, you no longer have to wait months to enjoy the latest blockbuster releases. Sony TV’s are the best-in-class, and Samsung’s Frame TV disguises itself as artwork. Don’t compromise on the sound system which is the foundation of a good theater system. You can add something as simple as a Sonos soundbar, but we recommend a system with dedicated with plenty of power and architectural-grade speakers that can be hidden in the walls and ceilings.

2.  Upgrade your Wi-Fi system. 

 Having a strong internet connection is a must in these days of remote work, school at home, Zoom calls and video and audio streaming. Comcast and other providers (ISPs) will supply you with a single gateway in your home which often has a limited range not strong enough to cover even a medium size home. Inexpensive wireless repeaters are available, but we recommend an enterprise-grade network with wired repeaters located inside and outdoors to deliver maximum speed and coverage.

1.  Invest in a legendary stereo system. 

 Have you forgotten how great music can sound by listening to compressed music on portable speakers earbuds? Treat yourself to a truly legendary sound system. McIntosh amplifiers powered Woodstock and the Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound.” Bowers & Wilkins makes the official speakers of Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded. Drop the needle, sit back and enjoy. Put this system in your Will, or your kids will be fighting over it after you are gone.