How to enhance your home and lifestyle with professional home automation:

Systems-Integrator Discussion General-Info Project-Proposal Installation Follow-Up

• Locate a home automation Systems Integrator in your State using our Systems Integrator list.
• Check from your System Integrator's website that they are properly certified, qualified, experienced and professional using our Systems Integrator Checklist.

• Ask your Systems Integrator about the current capabilities of home automation systems.
• Discuss your security and lifestyle requirements and how they might be addressed with home automation.
• Discover needs you may have overlooked by asking about common home automation applications.
• Ask from what price range each aspect of home automation might start.
• At the same time confirm that you get along well with your Systems Integrator.
  You may be interacting extensively over the next few months, and from time to time afterwards.

• Download home automation brochures from your System Integrator's website, or ask for some to be sent to you.
• Arrange a no-obligation meeting for yourself and your partner with your home automation Systems Integrator.
• Examine samples and/or see working home automation systems.
• Discuss your home - bring your building plans and standard electrical plans along.
• Examine a sample home automation project proposal from your Systems Integrator (see below).

• Ask your Systems Integrator to produce a professional project proposal. This should include:
• Project schematics indicating the location of home automation devices.
• An itemised parts list with individual prices indicated.
• The benefits offered by your proposed home automation project, and its limitations.
• How provision is being made for your future needs with pre-wiring, expandability and modularity.
• Preliminary wall-switch function assignments so you know if enough switches have been provided in the right locations.
• After receiving your home automation project proposal, ask your Systems Integrator to explain anything that remains unclear.
• Be prepared to pay a fee for a professional project proposal to allow your Systems Integrator to spend sufficient time consulting with you, designing and documenting.

• Based on your detailed project proposal and any subsequent variations, sign a contract to proceed with the home automation project as clearly specified in this way.
• Keep your Systems Integrator informed of any additions or variations to other aspects of your home's building or renovation that might affect the design or functioning of the home automation system, especially any lighting or electrical appliance changes.

• Your needs after you actually occupy a home may differ from your expectations. Professionally designed and installed home automation can accommodate many changes, with assistance from your Systems Integrator.
• You may discover small aspects of your home automation that function differently to how you expected. Also, actually living in a home over an extended period provides more exhaustive testing than your Systems Integrator may perform. Either type of change may usually be easily rectified in software by your Systems Integrator.