Purchasing or building a new home can be daunting, especially if you’re unsure what to look for or what your must-have features in a home are. This is equally true if you are renovating or updating your home. As you make your preparations and begin your search, here are a few things, like motorized window shades, to consider when purchasing or renovating a new home.
Location
When you are searching for your dream home or looking for a spot to build your dream home, the location is possibly the most important consideration. It’s important to thoroughly research a property before making an emotional decision based on its location near family, schools, parks, or other amenities. This includes investigating the history and details of the space to make an informed and practical decision.
Lot Size and Square Footage
When building your new home, thinking beyond your present needs and assessing your plans is important. You may have enough space in your current home and lot size, but planning for the future is crucial. Consider features like the type of outdoor space you would want: a screened porch, a raised patio, a deck, or a play space. Consider how many bedrooms you need for the indoor spaces and if extra office space will be needed down the road. It’s essential to plan with scalability in mind, not only for your dream home but also for your dream yard and activities.
Energy Efficiency Considerations
With rising energy costs and concern for the environment, energy efficiency is becoming more and more important to homeowners. When searching for a new home or options for your renovations, look for energy-efficient windows and window treatments, high-efficiency appliances, and a well-insulated attic and walls. Our energy-efficient window treatments help provide an affordable solution to keeping heat and cold from entering your home.
Our most energy-efficient window treatment is the Hunter Douglas Duette® Honeycomb shades, the original cellular shades. The Duette® shades provide innovative and stylish solutions and are beautiful and beneficial. Hunter Douglas Duette® shades have revolutionary construction for energy efficiency, allowing you to regulate your home’s temperature better. They also provide top-down/bottom-up functionality. Considering these features in a home or upgrading the current features can help reduce your utility bills and minimize your carbon footprint.
Smart Home Technology
Another important factor to consider is smart home technology. This technology has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. A smart home can offer many benefits, from increased security to improved energy efficiency. When searching for a new home, look for features such as smart thermostats, lighting controls, motorized window shades, and security systems. Now, more than ever, consumers are demanding the convenience and efficiency of smart home technology. To meet consumer demand, Hunter Douglas, the industry leader in window treatments, offers PowerView Motorization as an innovative operating system that ensures the shades in your homes are an integral part of your routine, smoothly delivering automatic operation right from the smart devices consumers use every day. These features help keep your home comfortable, secure, and on schedule.
Pre-wiring and Electricity
Considering the last two points, it is crucial to think about your home’s wiring. When working with your builder, ask about pre-wiring packages so your home can be smart-enabled, even if they don’t think you will need it immediately. If you are unsure how pre-wiring works, contact our team now for specific wiring instructions based on your needs.
When wiring your home, some of the most essential elements are lighting, light switches, and power outlets. Carefully consider where to place a light switch in a room and where it would be most practical to install power outlets. If you are renovating, think about places in your house where you have always wished for an outlet. Remember that this is your dream home, so pay attention to your design wants and ideas.
When it comes to low-voltage wiring for your smart shades, it is imperative to work with a team of professionals who understand exactly what is needed for the proper system to be in place for future shades, which will be essential. We can work with your builder and contractors to ensure this specialized process is correctly installed for your treatments and that a power supply box has a dedicated location as well. Once the drywall goes up, you won’t want to start this process. Don’t miss an opportunity for a smart and convenient feature in your home and one you will use daily.
If you are still trying to figure out where to start and need help deciding what to consider when purchasing or renovating your dream home, reach out to us. We partner with a variety of vendors and are happy to work with them and guide you in the right direction. Purchasing or renovating a home can be an exciting experience, and taking the time to consider factors such as energy efficiency, smart home technology, and pre-wiring can make your life so much more efficient in the long run!