Why you should turn your spare room into the at-home cinema of your dreams

Have you always dreamed of being the proud owner of an at-home cinema? But instead of the cinema experience of your dreams, you have a spare room that you’re not entirely sure what to do with, so you fill it with random crap from around the house?

This is a waste of premium real estate. We’re all guilty of not using the space we have creatively - we resort to easy cop-outs like a “storage room” or a laundry room, which, truthfully, just contains a washing machine and wicker hampers of dirty clothes.

If you’ve been scratching your head about a home upgrade for your spare room, here’s why an at-home cinema practically makes your decision for you.

If you build it, they will come

They - being all your family, friends, and loved ones - will be blowing up your phone, trying to curl up and catch some of the latest blockbusters in your new home cinema. 

If you love entertaining, this is what you need to transform your spare room into - a place to cuddle or gorge on buttered popcorn and catch classic horror movies (old-school Friday the 13th, anyone?) or empowering legal dramas like Legally Blonde. 

An at-home cinema is so much more than just a projector and a wall; it’s a whole experience independent of the quality of the movies themselves. This cinematic transformation will add considerable value to your home and alter your experience of your overall space; everybody wins (especially you)!

You have room to spare but no at-home cinema

This one needs no explanation. 

Do you have too many ideas for your spare room, but no idea how to choose between them or actually act on any of these ideas? Maybe you have no ideas at all but the sight of the empty space is becoming a little too much to bear?

We understand how you’re feeling, and we’re here to tell you that an at-home cinema will never be a bad idea for your home.

When you choose a reputed home cinema designer and installer, they turn any space you give them into the luxury at-home cinema you’re already picturing yourself lounging in. 

Home is where the remote is

The COVID-19 pandemic had us all confined to our homes. Over the months and weeks spent in lockdown, our perception of what our home should do for us rapidly shifted.

Suddenly, all our entertainment options were limited to our home, in-between Zoom calls and learning to bake sourdough.

This marked a shift in how we consume entertainment in a post-COVID-19 world. So, what does the movie-going experience look like after the pandemic and social distancing have made their mark?

Even as people in some parts of the world slowly trickle back to cinemas, there is an air of wariness about sitting too close to other patrons and a decided air of discomfort about the whole experience. 

There is no getting over the fact that the world has changed forever, and as it is with most global crises, the solution is adapting and altering our homes to exist in this all-new landscape. 

The at-home cinema is the perfect encapsulation of the waiting game during the lockdown and social distancing; it is a luxurious and functional sanctuary we can enjoy, sans face masks, when heading to the cinema can literally be the line between life and death. 

How Living Home Tech can conjure your at-home cinema to life

Here at Living Home Tech, we’re in the business of making your futuristic dream spaces come to life.

When you finally decide to create an at-home cinema, in lieu of the empty space in your home, we’ll be waiting in the wings, armed with top-of-the-line, cutting-edge technologies you need for clarity of sound and clear images that define the cinema experience. 

We even offer you home cinema lighting technologies that set the mood in your at-home cinema. 

We give you quality, the science of sound, and plenty of experience from our years in the industry. Trusting us with building your at-home cinema will be one of the best decisions you make - second only to deciding that it’s time to get yourself an at-home cinema.

Top 5 reasons to install a custom home cinema

‘There’s no place like home’ - famous words from Dorothy when asked about the best place to set up a custom home cinema. 

Sure, we might be reinterpreting the context in which she said it. But we’re pretty confident that she would agree with us if she knew how cool a custom home cinema experience truly is. 

We know what you’re thinking - what’s the point of expending that much energy on constructing a custom home cinema when you’re not sure how different it would be from a regular visit to the cinema?

Trust us, the difference between these two cinema experiences is astronomical. 

Amélie may have enjoyed turning around in movie theatres to check out the reactions of her fellow cinema-goers, but not everyone has such a positive experience at the movies.

A custom home cinema gives you the privacy and luxury that you never knew your movie experience was missing. Imagine the plush seating, mood lighting, sharp audio, and image clarity you enjoy at the cinema and pair it with the comfort, snacks, and freedom you enjoy at home. 

But wait - there’s more. 

1. A custom home cinema is the perfect opportunity to up your hosting game

With a custom home cinema, you’ll be a much less creepy, but equally picture-perfect, Stepford host.

Movie nights with all your friends and loved ones or your Love Island viewing party will never be the same again. It’s the ultimate experience at the movies, from the comfort of your home.

1. Add more value to your home

The appeal of a custom home cinema is universal. Not only is it a great way to enjoy your movie-watching experience, but there’s also no limit to the number of people that can enjoy it. It’s the perfect room for children of all ages, and adults alike. 

Equipping your home with custom home cinema technologies even boosts the value of your home on the real estate market. These additions are highly regarded by homebuyers, who view these features as perks that positively correlate with their likelihood of purchasing your space. 

1. It’s the dream gift for a cinephile or sports fan

It’s not just movies - you can also enjoy your favourite games and matches whenever you want to, in the comfort of your own home!

This is a great birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion gift for yourself or your loved ones, whose idea of a great day is just curling up with a good movie and snacks.

Save them a lifetime of movie ticket stubs with their dream, custom home cinema. 

1. You are the master of the remote

A custom home cinema plays whatever you want it to. You can rewatch all your favourite films as many times as you want, without buying multiple tickets. 

At a public cinema, your enjoyment of a film falls victim to untimely pee breaks or latecomers cutting in front of the screen to get to their seat. These are problems you won’t relate to after you install your custom home cinema.

1. A custom home cinema makes better use of your space

Don’t know what to do with the spare room? Are you looking for a better allocation of space? A custom home cinema is the perfect use of your space - especially if you have plenty of it. 

Don’t take our word for it. Just ask yourself if you’d rather have a spare room you barely use or a cutting-edge home cinema that all your family, friends, and house guests can enjoy. 

How can Living Home Tech help you make your custom home cinema dream a reality?

At Living Home Tech, we bring you cutting-edge solutions for the installation of the custom home cinema of your dreams.

We do this with state-of-the-art technology systems such as Artnovion that brings you sound clarity that ensures you don’t miss a thing, from the soundtracks you love to the iconic dialogue you have memorised. 

A custom home cinema with a Sony 4K Cinema Projector brings you the brightness and 4K quality that will have you marvelling at every thread and strand of hair on your favourite cinematic characters.

You want a custom home cinema, we’ll create it. Contact Living Home Tech for more information about our range of products. 

Why should you consider home automation and how will it advance your lifestyle?

Home automation has quickly gathered speed in the industry with integrators like Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s home assistant taking over the zeitgeist and breaking new ground with their impact, not just in terms of technology but also in terms of our culture. 

The era of home automation seemed like a utopian future just a few short years ago. Even today, the technology is novel enough to inspire plenty of curiosity about its features. 

When it comes down to it, home automation is a natural progression from the automation of as many domestic facilities and appliances as we have. Once everything has been primed for easy access and use, the next step is to integrate all these features into one access point; an access point provided by a home automation system. 

When a stranger calls, home automation will answer

Home automation helps you remain secure in your sanctuary. 

If you’ve ever been gripped by fear at midnight because you think you’ve forgotten to lock up, a home automation system is the perfect way to alleviate your anxiety and save yourself precious sleeping time - it does all the checking for you.

Your security systems can also be integrated with other household systems, alerting you when you have visitors, allowing you to switch lights on and off remotely, and even tells you where certain people are in your home. 

Ultimately, these systems don’t just keep you safe, but also save you plenty of time and energy, help you remain independent if you live alone, and watch over your home while you are away. 

Your entire home at your fingertips

Being a homeowner is a responsibility that home automation makes fun. 

Home automation integrates everything from lighting, music, video, and climate control to security and gives you control over these aspects of your home on your smartphone or tablet. 

If your time to curl up on the sofa and watch TV is rudely interrupted by the realisation that you left the lights on upstairs (telling yourself you’d only be gone for one episode - three episodes ago), a home automation system will save you the trek upstairs. You can switch off the lights, anywhere in the house, from one location.

Not only do you get to savour your TV time, but you also cut down on your carbon footprint. 

This works even if you’re not at home. Do you find your home too hot/cold when you get in? With a home automation system, you can trigger your air conditioning unit or heating system to run the minute you start driving home. 

Embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle with home automation 

The automation of your entire house allows you to keep a closer eye on saving energy without having to expend any extra energy yourself. Our home automation systems ensure you can be comfortable and safe while saving energy and money at home.

Electricity consumption leaves behind a massive carbon footprint. Numerous studies have revealed that a huge portion of our carbon footprint is caused by lighting - 17% is caused by lighting alone.

With a home automation system, you can monitor your consumption levels and compare your usage to previous months and make adjustments that lower your usage and expenditure in the long run.

With a home automation system, you have access to a smart thermostat, have better control over your HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system, and make use of the warmth of natural sunlight by opening or closing your blinds at the sunniest times of the day to maintain a cosy temperature.

Home automation: How can Living Home Tech help get you closer to your dream lifestyle?

Here at Living Home Tech, we understand home automation inside-out. 

We know that it’s often thought of as futuristic and flashy, but home automation has a practical impact that can make a real difference to your lifestyle. 

Home automation lets you control your home with the flick of a button. Learn more about Living Home Tech’s home automation solutions by getting in touch with us today.

A guide to home cinema lighting: The best designs for a living room

The COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented number of people to spend more time basking in their home cinema lighting than they could in the sun. Almost overnight, the residential space was forced to become a one-stop-shop for endless entertainment. 

Since the beginning of the outbreak, therefore, we’ve had to reevaluate what we expect of our homes and the experiences we can have in it.

A few questions we’ve begun to ask ourselves include what facilities do we now need at home? What does home design look like post-COVID-19? What is the distinction between necessity and comfort? And how do we prepare our homes for the possibility of another pandemic or a future in which WFH and periods of isolation are more common?

In the contemporary world, technology and digitalisation have left their mark on every industry and sector of society. Home design is no different. 

What we can say is this: Homes of the future are about to get an upgrade. More specifically, the need for entertainment is going to redefine the home space. This means everything from experimenting in the kitchen to actual entertainment in the form of catching blockbuster marathons and gaming is about to be transformed by new types of technology and spatial design. 

One of the main sources of public entertainment that was affected by pandemic restrictions was the movie-going experience. 

Fortunately, using modern entertainment technology and home theatre setups, your living room can be turned into a state-of-the-art cinema that completely transforms the time you spend with your family and friends. 

Never compromise your health and safety when your home is perfectly equipped for your entertainment.

Home cinema lighting - set the mood

More so than the end credits, you know a movie’s over when the lights come back on. There’s nothing that transports you back from the cinematic world faster than the harsh light of real life. 

That’s why we place so much emphasis on your home cinema lighting. 

We know that home cinema lighting is how your movie experience starts and ends. This is why it’s crucial that you choose lighting that sets the right mood, without leaving you stumbling in the dark. 

Speak to our team at Living Home Tech and we’ll take a look at your space and suggest custom lighting setups that ensure you enjoy the real movie-going experience - right inside your home! 

Enjoy a couch potato’s convenience

Home is comfort. We know that being a homeowner can be a tremendous responsibility, but that work shouldn’t extend to your time of rest and relaxation. 

No smart living room and home cinema system is complete without the control of a cutting-edge home automation system that offers you integrated control over your interior and exterior lights, electric lights, audio-visual system, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system, and other home electronic systems. 

Don’t strain your ears to hear 

It’s not a real cinema experience without superior sound quality. Your movie experience is tarnished if you need to strain to hear the culture-defining words spoken or if the soundtrack doesn’t seem quite as evocative as the critics lead you to believe. 

At Living Home Tech, we believe that speakers need to pack a punch. We give you acoustic excellence with strikingly clear sound, innovation, and sophisticated design. 

Home cinema lighting and more: How can Living Home Tech help?

Living Home Tech equips your sanctuary with smart home innovations. We don’t rip your home apart, we just enhance the place you call home, bring it into the modern age, and ensure that it meets your needs. 

It’s not just about dumping all the modern technology we can fit into your home and leaving it within arm’s reach. We mould your space into the perfect smart home and ensure that everything complements each other, from your home cinema lighting system to your Wi-Fi setup.

Find out more about how we transform your space by getting in touch today.

Top 5 smart home design ideas

Technology re-imagines our world every single day. Possibilities that seemed futuristic just a few years ago, are now made possible with innovation. 

What does this mean for homeowners? 

Let us tell you: It means ease, convenience, a sleek home design, time-saving features, and the future today. 

Home design, post-COVID-19, is destined to change. Post-9/11, the focus shifted to security within home design. Now, smart home design is likely to shift to accommodate safety, hygiene, and social distancing requirements to reflect the new normal.

Modernity, luxury, and smart home design are all about comfort, but the definition of comfort is constantly shifting. The one place that should be your haven is your home; a smart home ensures that your sanctuary is customised to deliver maximum, personalised comfort. 

Our ideas of safety and hygiene evolved when the pandemic first hit and technology is a tool that can be used to help us adapt to the ‘new normal’ that will emerge, post-crisis. Having these needs met by your home is an essential aspect of ensuring your mental and physical well-being. 

Here are a few ways in which you can try to make your home the right kind of smart. 

1. Enjoy ease of access with an integrated home control system

We take the little, everyday actions that you take for granted and show you how much easier our modern solutions make it. 

You may think flipping a light switch is easy, but there’s nothing harder than groggily summoning the will to make sure all the lights in your home have been switched off before you finally lay down to sleep.

Smart home design makes taking care of your home easy by integrating all controls in one easy-to-use interface. When you make the decision to get yourself a home automation system, you make all other life decisions easy. 

2. Let there be light - without lifting a finger 

Start your day without having to roll out of bed to throw open your blinds. Automated blinds allow you to let the sunshine in or out, as you see fit. 

At Living Home Tech, we offer you technology developed by Q Motion. It’s the only blinds system with built-in, patented, counterbalance motor technology. This technology offers you full control over your blinds by hand, remote, and also through voice command. 

3. Safely prepare for the ‘new normal’ with a home temperature-check system

The price of protecting yourself and your loved ones shouldn’t be constant isolation. As people gradually make their way back into work, schools, and the wider community, we need quicker ways of making sure everything is as it should be. 

Our facial recognition system senses temperature irregularities, the number of people within each area, and can even detect face masks.

Stay safe and protect your home while you return to your routine. Smart home design is safe home design.

4. Save on energy: A modern home is a green home

When you have greater control over your home, you’re able to save plenty of time and energy, all while benefiting from a sleek design. 

Gain control over your electric lights, interior and exterior lights, audio-visual system, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system, and wider control over your home environment with solutions by Living Home Tech. 

This way, you reduce your utility bills while reveling in the ultimate comfort; it’s a win-win!

5. Indulge in modern luxuries with a stunning home cinema

With a smart home design, you not only meet your day-to-day needs but also enjoy the luxuries that enhance your quality of life.

The pandemic made us think twice about how we socialise and interact with each other. With a state-of-the-art cinema system, for instance, you can enjoy the little things in life, like gathering together with your loved ones, without having to compromise your health and safety. 

At Living Home Tech, we live and breathe home cinemas. We can turn any room you give us into an immersive, cutting-edge cinema. Just say the word (and book a consultation)! 

Living Home Tech has all the smart home design resources you need

We are dedicated to making your life easier with modern solutions. Whether this means creating the perfect home cinema for you and your loved ones or helping you design and implement the perfect automated system for your home, we do it all!

We help you with lighting design, lighting control, audio/visual systems, data and Wi-Fi, home cinemas, home automation, heating and cooling controls, landscape lighting design, security cameras, and access control. 

Get in touch with us today to reinvent your home with smart home design.

Home cinema installations: Setting up your sound system

In an era where people are seemingly driven by the need for entertainment - the Netflix age, if you will - home cinema installations have experienced a meteoric rise, surpassed only by people’s preference of watching sci-fi space movies in the comfort of their homes.

When it comes to a swanky home cinema - one that inspires awe and envy in equal parts - a surround sound system plays a very important role. After all, can you imagine anything worse than watching a Blu-ray movie and having to strain your ears to hear what’s being said on-screen?

Whether you’re contemplating adding or upgrading your sound systems, here are a few things you need to know about home cinema installations of this nature. 

Go pro and get experts to recommend the best sound systems

The first step in getting the surround sound system of your dreams is knowing what kind of system to get. What most people don’t realise is that while technology certainly plays a part, that’s not all there is to it. 

You can’t just get the best tech and expect to enjoy the home cinema experience you have in mind - you need to evaluate the acoustics of your TV room, the measurements of this room and other elements that contribute to a true, cinema-like feel.

At Living Home Tech, getting your sound system right is a mission we take more seriously than anything you’ve seen James Bond do on-screen. We believe in what we call the science of sound - we recommend the size and number of speakers for your home cinema, following careful analysis. 

We even tell you what kind of sound treatment you need to get to enjoy a truly theatrical experience.

Get the positioning of your speakers right - it’s not just about left and right speakers

While most people are perfectly content with having powerful left and right speakers, home cinema installations that rival an actual cinema, however, sport a speaker in the centre too. 

A centre speaker improves your home theatre experience because it anchors on-screen dialogue and seamlessly supports your peripheral speakers. When objects on the screen move from one side to the other, for instance, your centre speaker makes sure there’s a smoother transition in terms of the sounds you’re hearing. 

Beyond just having the right amount of speakers, how you position them and in which direction you angle them can also make a difference to how good your movie experience is - every little thing matters! 

Here, make sure you don’t place your speakers against the wall, and angle them towards your sitting area. 

Subwoofers may just be your next best friend

A subwoofer is a loudspeaker designed with the ability to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies known as bass or sub-bass. These complement the other speakers within your home cinema installation system and generate a fuller bass sound and signal. 

By doing so, your peripheral speakers can solely produce mid to high-range frequencies. With a subwoofer, there’s also less strain on the amplifier in your speaker system. 

So, how does a subwoofer enhance your home theatre experience? 

Basically, it gives your sound system a more dynamic range and richer sounds. With a subwoofer, the bass in the audio can go significantly lower compared to the woofers in regular speakers. 

Nail your sound system with home cinema installations that deserve an Oscar

Home cinemas are becoming a popular fixture in modern homes, especially if you’re a discerning movie buff who likes the finer things in life. With the right sound system, you can turn a regular TV room into a cinema-like setting - it only takes the right speakers and the right arrangements.

To bring your vision to life, speak to our team at Living Home Tech today and find out how we can help you catch every blockbuster with our comprehensive home cinema installations. 

You can even book an appointment at our Dolby Atmos Home Cinema experience centres in Dorset and Essex for a taste of what we’re offering.

Innovative Ring. But for pros

Living Home Tech have become one of the first accredited Ring X Line pro’s in the UK.

X Line is a premium-level group of Ring devices and subscription bundles designed specifically for professional installers and their customers. The Ring X Line is tailored for professional installers who are looking for ways to provide better value and a more seamless installation process for clients. Each X Line bundle is built around a Ring Video Doorbell or Security Cam and includes a Ring Protect Basic subscription for the lifetime of the device, along with a four-year limited warranty.

Ring X Line Accredited Installer

Is this the end of commercial cinema?

One of the most stark and extreme effects seen on any industry during the recent pandemic, has been that on the Hollywood film industry. Of course every studio, whether TV, film or otherwise will have closed down and seen at least some impact, but if you’re in the business of making multi-million pound blockbuster movies destined for the local cineplex, this impact is huge. Have we seen the end of the traditional trip to the cinema?

With Universal Studios taking the plunge by streaming their ‘Trolls’ sequel direct to our homes, the genie was certainly out of the box. Even more so with the move netting them a cool £80million in the first few weeks! Universal has since released statements with a tone that suggests this could be the new way to get their content to us, rather than the traditional commercial Cinema route, this is indeed ominous news for Cine World and their like.

In tandem with this, we have seen a significant uptick in-interest for our Home Cinema service since gradually returning to work in June/July. We believe this is at least in part due to our clients deciding to invest more in their homes in-general, not just with home cinema of course, but in their gardens, living rooms, anywhere that makes our homes more comfortable to be in. We’ve all spent so much more time at home over the recent months, more than ever before in most cases, so we’ve had lots of time to make plans. We’re really excited to see so many film enthusiasts making the move, taking advantage of 4K projection, Dolby Atmos ‘3D’ surround sound and much more. Their has never been such an exciting time to operate in the Home Cinema industry, home cinema has truly come of age. What does this mean for commercial cinema? Our hope is there will be a new balance struck between streaming new releases and watching them at the local cinema complex. After all, part of the experience is the going, the grabbing of popcorn and a beer and enjoying the movie with fellow movie goers, we really are a social animal when all is said and done (where else would we go for a first date as a teenager?). So when this new balance is struck, we hope you’ll have a Living cinema in your home, it’s an investment that will keep on paying you back, day after day, year after year.

Our Home Cinema service is unique. With our design service, we are able to site a cinema experience in any space you have, without pulling your home apart in the process! Over the last 15 years we have transformed living rooms, bedrooms, garages, studios, loft spaces and garden rooms into a Home Cinema. We have packages to meet most budgets and even offer finance options to spread the cost.

It really is time to get that quality time with family and friends, in the comfort of your own home.

CEDIA Tech Council - Asks Us For Help

CEDIA our Industry Standards body, have asked one of our Directors Luke to sit on 3 of their Tech Councils. We will be advising on topics such as the latest exam requirements, website and market research. CEDIA recognising the amount of industry knowledge we have within our company, and tapping into that knowledge base to further improve our industry.

“It’s a privilege and compliment to be asked to volunteer on these Tech Council groups. Together with other market leading companies, we can further improve the CEDIA membership journey”

We are also supporting the new CEDIA strong campaign, in light of the recent struggles due to COVID19. We fully support our whole industry and together we are stronger.

#CEDIAstrong

Intelligent Access Camera Launch

We are excited to launch ‘HYGEA’, our automated facial recognition system that senses C-19 temperature irregularities (37.5C) as well as the number of people that have entered the controlled area, ensuring they are all wearing face masks in the process.

With the country slowly getting back to work, we can now offer this solution for private homes, hospitals, sports facilities, care homes, building sites, commercial offices, hospitality and education environments. Easily control and manage who enters your premises from a simple interface, limit your risk with restricting people entering without a mask or high temperature.

We offer outright purchase of the system or leasing of the system with a small monthly fee, maintenance fully inclusive.

Speak to us today to learn more, fully installed and technical back up from the Living Home Tech team.

Main Features

• Facial Recognition

• Body Heat Detection

• Mask Detection

• Body Count

Our Favourite Lockdown Movies!

Here we have put together some must watch movies in your Home Cinema set-up during lockdown. With the latest technologies such as 4K and Dolby Atmos, Home Cinema is now the best immersive experience on offer. Even average movie titles come to life with the right set-up! Remember streaming is not always the best option, talk to us if you want to discuss how you get your content. Stay safe

1. Joker

2. Mad Max

3. Avengers - Endgame

4. The Greatest Showman

5. Bohemian Rhapsody

6. The Lion King (2019)

7. 1917

8. Ready Player One

9. Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

10. Gravity

Remote CPD Offer

In these troubling times, we have decided to offer a remote CPD session to try and fill your day with some education points.

Book now this free online CPD, presented by Living Home Tech. Use this time at home, learning about designing the connected home in today's developments. Online presentation with Zoom conference call to allow interaction and questions. 

Living Home Tech work with specifiers to help homeowners get the most from their living environment.

This RIBA & BIID Accredited CPD (Continuing Professional Development) will help you understand the basics, so you can talk intelligently with the client and the other members of the design team. It will show you what is possible, describe some alternatives and explain how to incorporate the various systems without detracting from your design. You’ll have a good grasp of modern best practice for low-voltage systems in the home, and feel more confident specifying these systems.

This CPD has been accredited with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects & the BIID (British Institute of Interior Design). 

Zoom details will be sent to each delegate prior to the meeting. 

Learning objectives:

• To learn the vocabulary and key phrases related to the Smart Home

• To enable delegates to know when to call the experts

• To learn basic design principles 

• To better understand what is required to cable an 'Integrated Home'

Please email info@livinghometech.co.uk with any further questions.

Smart Home ROI 101

We’ve put together some easy pointers to help developers improve their ROI when it comes to including Smart Home Technology in their specification. Get it wrong and you’ve just loaded a house with kit end users will seldom use; get it right and it can help your property sell faster and for more money: win-win!

Living Home Technology has been involved in the high-end residential market since 2005. During that time, we’ve learnt a thing or two. Here’s our quick fire guide to getting it right.  

1. Pick your market and act accordingly

Are you developing to sell for £1m or £10m (or yourself)? It may sound like common sense, but if it’s the former, you wouldn’t expect a 20-seater home cinema in the basement, so please don’t try and make it fit. 

2. It’s said that headlines sell newspapers: this is true of property too

Whilst we can’t move your next project to that perfect street or postcode, we can help make sure you have some key headline ‘features’ that will appeal to your chosen market (see point 1).

3. Make it easy 

Even in 2020, you would be surprised by the number of customers that have little or no experience with smart home technology and this goes for your potential buyers as well. So don’t opt for uber complex systems that would scare even the most tech savvy among us. Keep It Simple!

4. Ask ‘why?’ (often) 

When looking at what you would like to add to your development, the first, middle and last question you should ask yourself is ‘why?’  If the ‘smart tech’ adds value to the property, it will also likely simplify or improve some element of the end user’s life. If you can’t answer the why, it probably doesn’t belong.

5. Get a design

A design gives you fixed pricing. A design gives you a start, middle and most importantly an end to your project. Without a design, you’ll be flying by the seat of your pants, all the way to a more expensive installation that will likely miss out most of the above points as well.    

Status update (COVID19)

COVID 19 - Service Update, Tuesday 31st March 2020:

Following the closure of most of our supply chain, we have been forced to cease any new installation work or new deliveries until further notice.  Unfortunately, we are not able to provide a fixed date for when we will be able to restart these services, as we are not being offered one from our supply chain at the moment, but our hope is to be operational again sometime in May.  We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by this.      

We have retained the ability to remotely access and support our clients as we all work from home, indeed we have supported many of you this way already.  For those of you we have helped, we thank you for your understanding and help during the new much more ‘interactive’ process 😁

We know this is an extremely testing time for all of us and we thank you for bearing with us as we negotiate the next few months along with the rest of the country.  We know that the UK will bounce back from this stronger than ever and with the knowledge we all did the right thing when called upon to do so.

For now, from the whole Living team, we wish you and yours the very best. 

Please get in touch via service@livinghometech.co.uk if you need any help with existing set-ups.       

COVID 19 - Service Update, Monday 23rd March 2020:

In-line with updated government guidelines, we have now scaled back our service to include only remote support. We have taken these steps to protect you as well as our staff in these uncertain times.

Our biggest worry is that Covid 19 has a long period where a person can be asymptomatic, but still pass it on. This could mean our service engineers are busily going between households, solving one problem but sadly, could be leaving another behind. It is with heavy heart, yet a sound mind we have taken the decision to remove household visits until the end of April, when we will review the situation again.

We are continuing to work with our clients on 'site work', that is work that is being carried out on construction sites where there is no one resident. Whilst working on these sites, meticulous hygiene routines are observed along with with the use of PPE.

Our remote support is still available, in fact we have been meeting all morning (over Zoom) to see how we could add additional support using remote access. This will now include "video fault finding" and "video support" so that our clients can work with us to correct some minor faults that may occur. You never know, if you do a good job, we have a place for you after this is all over and done with! 😁

We are truly in uncharted territory, we are doing our absolute best for you, your loved ones and of course our staff and their families.

Stay safe. The Living Home Tech team.

The below information was current the week commencing Monday 16th March 2020

***The Below is now out of date***. We have kept this information available for clarity.

In light of the recent announcement by our government and our national COVID 19 response, we would like to notify our clients and wider community of how we are working with the ongoing situation.  

We will follow government guidelines and monitor and act upon any applicable developments. All service visits and site installation dates remain unaffected, with options in place for any of our clients in the "vulnerable" category (such as remote visits, and/or remote video calls if required).

We have the following procedures in place:

• All engineers/consultants to respect the self isolation period if showing any of the symptoms. 

• Clients are requested to notify our office of any if they have exhibited any of the symptoms before our scheduled visit. 

• Cancellation fee will not be charged for late cancellations during this period.  

• Increased hygiene routines for all staff inline with government guidelines.  

• Remote meetings will take place where possible, this includes CPD, Design Meetings and Site Update Meetings. 

• Office visits to be reduced and kept to a minimum.

• An increase in the number of available technicians during this period, to allow for isolation periods.

We understand that during self isolation, that it is highly likely our control and AV systems will be extremely important to the sanity of our country, if you have any systems niggles at all, please let us know as soon as possible. 

We wish you and your loved ones the very best during these testing times. If you have any concerns or questions please don't hesitate to contact us. 

Control4 Gold Dealer Status

We are pleased to announce that Control4 have awarded Living Home Tech Gold Dealer status.

Control4 is one of the most respected and largest home automation system providers in the world, known around the globe for delivering quality and innovative technology. It is a company famous for its audio/visual, home cinema, lighting, music, video, security and energy management systems, Control4 produces solutions that make it easier to control and fully automate your property.

The Control4 dealership scheme, ensures we offer the best knowledge, skills and technical ability for our customers. With over 50 Control4 systems installed over the last year, Gold status gives our clients peace of mind.

Living Home Tech carefully select the correct products for each project, no product suits all! As we’re customer service driven, we will give the best advice for each client and recommend the best solution for them.

Listen to us on the Pod!

Are you a property developer, potentially missing out on additional revenue? How does technology fit within a new-build scheme? What part does it play in the overall design and how can it add value from a developer’s perspective? Listen to our Podcast to find out more, we discuss in detail how we've helped one of our clients, whom we have completed a number of projects with over the past 10 years.

Click on the links below to listen now.