It had to happen. New Zealand, being the DIY capital of the world, has seen a lot of Kiwis attempting to do their home automation. After all, it’s easy… isn’t it? Just connect a few cables, flick a few switches, and away it goes...right? Actually, there is much more to it than that. We recommend you engage the services of a home automation technician, like the Control4 experts at EAV.  By doing it yourself, you create all sorts of potential headaches. Here are just a few of them:

• Too many separate devices being run on too many apps. This overloads your phone and is the ultimate inconvenience as you try to find and operate the right app. Professional home automation like ours will make it much easier by giving you the ability to control all of your devices from one Control4 app.
• Your privacy and security are compromised. Many DIY smart home devices are sold cheaply but are designed to turn a profit from your usage, search or other personal data. On the other hand, Control4 uses basic system information to enhance your smart home experience but won’t sell your data or use it for advertising. Additionally, we can set up your network so it’s secure and ensures all smart home components are up-to-date and configured to minimize gaps in security. That is just not possible when you DIY.  
• Too many remotes. Yet another big reason to leave your home automation to the professionals. By buying and setting up your own devices, you get a separate remote with each one, and the unsightly hassles that come with it. With Control4, you have one remote that controls it all; no clutter, no confusion. Just an elegant solution.
• Lack of integration. When you do it yourself, with all those different devices operating independently of each other, you miss out on the convenience of integration. As an example, a fully integrated Control4 Smart Home can bundle actions that work together in a logical progression, like turning on the lights, locking the door behind you, and starting your favourite playlist with a button tap or voice command as you walk through the door. 
• DIY installation often overlooks the importance of network planning. An automated system is only as good as your network and reliable connectivity for every device. It takes expertise to ensure a good network infrastructure in place, allowing all of your devices to run wmoothly without lagging and buffering.  

Those are just a few reasons why DIY home automation is not smart. You have to think about other things too, like staying on top of updates and new software, or what to do when something simply wears out and becomes obsolete. Maintenance and troubleshooting are further considerations, as is ongoing system management. Plus, an off-the-shelf device might not be the best match for your individual requirements. All of these factors are best handled by professionals like us. So, if you want to paint your own kitchen or build a deck, go for it. But the smartest way to create a smart home is not DIY - instead, it’s contacting us and letting us set things up properly.

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