Andy & Sabrina’s Smart Home Self Build – Part 2
This is the second instalment of our three-part series in which we follow Andy & Sabrina Hetzendorfer on their smart home self build journey. If you haven’t already check out part 1. Today we’ll focus on the first fix stage of construction as the couple share their advice for this hectic period in any self build. Read on to find out what they had to say…
Stay in the loop
“Prevention is better than cure”. Even if everything seems to be running smoothly it is best to still have your finger on the pulse. Andreas and Sabrina, for example, used their list from part 1, in which every company involved in the project is listed with their contact details. This allowed them to quickly and easily contact the relevant parties whenever they wanted to check that everything was going according to plan.
Tip: You don’t have to worry about your new home around-the-clock. If you’d prefer to be less involved with the project consider hiring a project manager. Then they can be your only point of contact, so you can relax and watch your new home be built from afar.
Double-check
Once the first fix has been completed, Andreas and Sabrina recommend a personal follow-up inspection, despite their trust in their Loxone partner. “In order to prevent any rude awakenings, we went through each room after the first fix was completed in order to check whether anything was overlooked. Are all sockets and light switches in the right place? Was everything installed at the correct height? Or did we overlook something ourselves?” – Andreas.
It’s far better to spot any discrepancies as this stage as they can be quickly rectified before the next stage of construction.
Keep an eye on the schedule
Keeping up-to-date is far easier when you have a reliable schedule. Andy & Sabrina took this one step further. “In addition to the list of all parties, we also noted when tasks were scheduled and who was carrying them out. This not only gave us an overview but also gave us peace of mind, knowing that everything was taken care of.” – Sabrina.
Maintain close contact with your Loxone Partner
From the groundbreaking ceremony to the housewarming party your Loxone Partner will play a very important role. Obviously important issues, ideas etc. should be discussed right at the very beginning of the project however it’s only natural that questions will need to be asked and little changes might need to be made during construction.
“Our partner, for example, gave us the idea of installing a touch surface in the sauna in order to operate light and music from within the sauna itself, which is pretty cool and without Andi we wouldn’t have thought of it,” says Sabrina. That’s why keeping in regular contact with your Loxone Partner is so important.
Tip: Rather than communicating via email simply make sure you and your Loxone Partner have each other’s mobile numbers. This way instant contact can be made should anything urgent arise.
Take photos
Sabrina suggests taking regular photos throughout the process. “As soon as the raw installation was finished, we photographed all places where cables, heating circuits, empty pipes etc. were. Once the plaster is on it, nothing is visible anymore. Therefore if we have to drill holes in the future, we will be grateful for the photos.”
– Special Tip –
Inspiration for your smart home
Filled with tips & tricks, exquisite case studies, expert advice; the all-new Welcome Home magazine is 65+ pages of fantastic smart home content presented in a visually-rich and inspirational way.
Click below to get your free copy!