Home automation in the UK: a guide for new builds

Part 2: Home automation for UK property developers

The business case

For a developer, the case rests on three things: a specification buyers remember, a predictable cost per plot, and an installation that fits the existing build programme.

A pre-configured system is designed and configured off-site, then installed by the electrician already on site. That takes the specialist integrator off the critical path, keeps the cost tied to hardware and installation labour rather than bespoke programming, and lets the same specification repeat across every house type on a scheme. Each scheme is quoted per project, and the price is fixed once quoted.

At Maple Barn, a four-bedroom new build for Kaybee Developments, the system was pre-configured off-site and installed by the developer's own electrician, controlling heating, lighting, blinds and security alongside solar PV, a heat pump and MVHR.

What buyers notice

The features buyers respond to are the ones they use every day:

1. Heating, room by room: each room at the right temperature on its own schedule
2. Lighting scenes: one press for morning, evening or bedtime
3. Shading: blinds that close against glare and heat
4. Security and access: cameras, motion sensors and a video intercom on the same system
5. Simple control: keypads in each room, a touchscreen, the app and Alexa voice control

Our guide to home automation in show homes covers how to demonstrate these during a viewing.

Learn more for developers

Part 3: Home automation for UK self-builders

The most common mistake self-builders make is treating automation as something to sort out later. The cabling has to go in while the walls are open, so the decision belongs at design stage, well before first fix.

Planning checklist

Design and layout

• Where the control panel will live (a utility room or plant room with access and ventilation)
• Keypad and touchscreen positions in each room
• Lighting circuits zoned for scenes
• Heating zones, especially with underfloor heating or a heat pump

Electrical design

• A cable schedule issued to your electrician before first fix
• Back boxes for keypads and the panel location agreed
• Any shading, security and access cabling planned in

Our posts on the specification timeline and first fix and second fix set out exactly what needs to happen at each stage.

What it costs

For a self-build, a Baulogic system starts from around £5 per square foot of the home you are building. That covers system design, hardware, off-site configuration and software. Installation by your own electrician, end devices such as light fittings, blinds and AV, and decoration are quoted separately. So a 2,500 square foot home starts from around £12,500. The final figure depends on how much of the home you want the system to control. Our post on how home automation cost compares to house value covers what moves the figure up or down.

UK building regulations for home automation

Part P (electrical safety)

• Mains-powered automation work must be carried out and certified by a qualified electrician
• Electricians should be registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or ELECSA

Part L and SAP (energy performance)

• Heating controls such as zone control and weather compensation are recognised in SAP calculations
• Room-by-room control helps a home perform closer to its design rating in use

Documentation

• Cable schedules and termination records
• Device locations and the system configuration
• Compliance certificates from the installer

Our building regulations checklist covers each area in more detail.

Learn more for self-builders

Part 4: How home automation works in UK homes

KNX and wireless systems

KNX (the professional standard)

• An open international standard (ISO/IEC 14543), backed by hundreds of manufacturers
• A hardwired bus cable that runs alongside the mains wiring
• Everyday control runs locally, independent of the internet
• In continuous use for more than 30 years, so devices can be replaced and the system expanded long after installation

Wi-Fi and cloud systems

• Wireless devices on the home network
• Often depend on a manufacturer's cloud service for full functionality
• Product lines change more often, so devices can lose support

For a new build, where the cable can go in before plastering, a KNX-based system like Baulogic is the more reliable long-term choice. Our post on KNX vs Wi-Fi switches explains the trade-offs.

Working with UK heating systems

Home automation works with the heating systems found in UK new builds:

• Gas combi and system boilers with hot water cylinders
• Air source and ground source heat pumps
• Wet underfloor heating and radiators
• Electric underfloor heating and towel rails

It provides room-by-room temperature control, zone-based scheduling, and support for weather and load compensation, so each room is heated when it is used rather than the whole house at once.

Voice control

Baulogic works with Amazon Alexa, so a household can say "Alexa, set the living room to 21 degrees" or trigger a scene by voice, alongside the keypads, touchscreen and app.

Part 5: Choosing a home automation system in the UK

How the main approaches compare

The most useful way to compare systems is by who installs them and who you rely on to change them afterwards, rather than by a list of features.

Baulogic

• Installed by any qualified electrician, after free training
• Configured off-site, before delivery
• Changes made later by the homeowner, through Smart Events
• Built on KNX, an open standard
• Best suited to new builds, developments and premium self-builds

Integrator-led systems (for example Control4 and Crestron)

• Installed by certified dealers or integrators
• Configured on site, by the integrator
• Changes usually made by the integrator
• Mostly proprietary
• Best suited to projects with an integrator on retainer

Self-programmed systems (for example Loxone)

• Installed by trained installers or a technically confident owner
• Configured on site, by the installer
• Changes made by the installer or owner, using the software
• Proprietary
• Best suited to owners who want to programme their own system

For a side-by-side look at one of these, see Baulogic vs Control4.

Questions to ask any provider

Installation

1. Who can install the system: any electrician, or certified dealers only?
2. How long does installation take on site?
3. Is the configuration done on site or off site?

Costs

4. What is included in the quoted price?
5. Are there ongoing subscription fees?
6. What do support and maintenance cost?

Technology

7. Does everyday control work without the internet?
8. What happens during a power cut?
9. How are updates handled?

Support

10. Where is support based?
11. What are the support hours?
12. Who do you call if something needs changing in five years' time?

Part 6: UK trends and outlook

Open standards and interoperability. Standards such as KNX, and newer ones such as Matter for consumer devices, make it easier for products from different manufacturers to work together.

Energy and running costs. With higher energy prices, buyers pay more attention to how a home is heated and lit. Room-by-room heating, scheduling and shading all help a home use energy only where and when it is needed.

Rules you set. The most useful automation responds to clear triggers that the household controls, such as the time of day, a room's temperature or the alarm being set. Baulogic's Smart Events let homeowners create and adjust these themselves.

Energy ratings. EPC ratings increasingly sit on sales particulars, and good controls help a well-designed home perform in line with its rating once it is lived in.

The direction of travel. In premium new builds, integrated control is moving towards being as expected as central heating. A home planned with it from the start stays relevant for longer.