What Is a 'Smart Home' and How Much Does It Cost?

Learned from an expert why a 'smart home' is needed in every apartment and how much it will cost you.

Daria Makurova is an expert and head of the company Intelliger. Smart home systems

In recent times, the phrase 'smart home' is used by everyone: operators, household appliance manufacturers, and internet providers. Demand for gadgets with 'smart' systems is only growing.

To understand what it actually means, it's better to use the term 'comprehensive automation systems'. It better reflects the essence: this is not about artificial intelligence but about managed subsystems.

You can control the system not only with wall-mounted touch panels but also with tablets and smartphones. The interface is developed individually for each customer. Today, voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Alice are also popular for control.

You can monitor water and gas leaks, set up fire alarms, install a doorbell and video surveillance. This is useful in both private homes and apartments. The presence simulation mode is especially convenient during your trips.

Most apartments now have not only radiators and convector heaters but also heated floors, air conditioning systems, and supply-exhaust ventilation. Proper interaction between all these elements is one of the key tasks for a 'smart home'.

Also, you save money: no overpayment for heating or electricity.

Designers plan various lighting scenarios that make our lives more comfortable. For example, family dinner, party with friends, reading books.

During renovations, you often have to deal with wiring, install many switches and dimmers. To avoid inconvenience, it's better to set up several quick-access buttons and control lighting remotely.

Blinds not only serve a decorative purpose but also regulate room lighting. For example, blackout curtains don't let any light through, and voiles or regular curtains are also suitable. Having three rows of cornices and constantly opening blinds is inconvenient. With a control system, everything becomes much simpler.

You can manage a home cinema and audio system. It's convenient to sit on the sofa in the evening, close the blinds, turn off the lights, and activate the projector with just one button. No remote controls needed.

You often see ads online like "Smart Home fully equipped for just 100 thousand rubles". But let's first understand what the cost includes.

This stage describes all details of the future control system. The client and designer jointly develop a concept.

Often clients think they don't need project documentation, and then the executor disappears with no working system. To avoid this, do not forget about documentation.

Each project has equipment selected individually, depending on the budget and preferences.

If designers are only interested in device dimensions and the client is concerned about cost, then all visible elements are included in the project. The price can vary depending on production capabilities, materials, and color.

Their cost depends on the system composition, complexity, and the client's requirements for the control interface.

Since the system cost depends on many factors, it's hard to give exact figures. The average project design cost on the market is 700–1000 rubles per square meter.

Equipment cost depends on functionality and starts from 15 thousand rubles per square meter and higher.

• Package 'Engineer' — from 800,000 rubles.
• Package 'Engineer' + 'Safety' — from 1,600,000 rubles.
• Package 'Engineer' + 'Safety' + 'Multimedia' — from 2,800,000 rubles.

Budget solutions can also be developed for typical apartments, depending on the system tasks. Usually, this is lighting and blind control. The main thing is to consult specialists during the design phase.