+8 votes
by (290 points)
Hi, newbie question here.  We're planning a house build that will be completed in 18 months - 2 years (in EU).Hi, newbie question here. We're planning a house build that will be completed in 18 months - 2 years (in EU). We have to choose most things now, including light switches. We originally upgraded the standard cheap ones they install, to nicer ones based on aesthetics. But now I'm thinking best to go for the the cheap standard ones and towards the end of the build see what the current technology is and upgrade/replace to smart switches? We have a lot of light switches and dimmers and I assume by 2022/23 the technology will be advanced and possibly cheaper. What would you do?  
Hi, newbie question here.  We're planning a house build that will be completed in 18 months - 2 year

8 Answers

+6 votes
by (630 points)
 
Best answer
I’d go with the standard cheap switch. Just make sure they put a neutral at every switch position (it’ll open your options later. And run network cable everywhere!  
by (290 points)
Thanks. Probably silly question. is the network cable needed if we used something like zigbee/zwave instead of wifi?  
by (630 points)
I mean, you might never use network cable. But if you’re building from scratch, the moment you need it, you’ll kick yourself that you didn’t put it in. It’s so cheap you might as well
by (1.7k points)
Lighting automation doesn't require network cabling, but home automation can be a fun and compelling snowball and having the cabling in place when it's cheap and easy to install might make a beautiful opportunity down the road to add a novel component to your home automation. Also consider running a few empty conduits from a central location to a few hard-to-wire parts of the house so you can upgrade your cabling to future technology almost effortlessly. Consider designating a few closets or cabinets as wiring hubs where you might later put some home automation equipment like an amplifier wired to speakers, a wireless signal repeater, a control hub, network storage, a second router, etcetera. These are the future hardware upgrades that are almost impossible to see now.  
+2 votes
by (1.4k points)
This ^
+6 votes
by (1.4k points)
Also look into systems like Lutron which are common in more higher end homes, they can require wiring for every light to go to a central controller so that's something you might want to consider as well. Will you be adding the smart products yourself or having an integrator set it all up for you?  
by (290 points)
I'm not sure at this point to be honest. Would like to DIY, but i have a lot to learn ha
by (1.4k points)
@klotz it may be an idea to cater to both options so each lighting circuit would have a separate feed back to the network room but also have a wall switch in each room too
+6 votes
by (1.7k points)
If you anticipate doing the upgrades yourself, then go with the least expensive switches, period. Map out the wiring now to fit your home automation setup. Specify large switch boxes to make your wiring easier when you change out the builder switches for your own smart dimmers. Just like the builder wants you to specify your devices now, now is the time for you to plan out your home automation setup based on your chosen hardware today. The technology changes between now and installation will affect that plan, not make it obsolete, by the time you purchase your devices.  
+8 votes
by (360 points)
Conduit if possible.  
+4 votes
by (2.5k points)
That’s what we did. I replaced my cheap build switches with Caseta switches once the build was complete.  
0 votes
by (5.6k points)
Shelly Relays. Super cheap and make all your dumb switches smart
+6 votes
by (530 points)
My electrician said deeper electrical boxes would be better for the bigger smart switches. If they are available then.  
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