Need to tend to your home while you’re out of town? There’s an app for that.
Smart technology has come a long way, and more homeowners are listing it as a priority in new home builds. Controlling indoor temperatures, irrigation systems, and surveillance cameras can be accomplished with the touch of a screen—and, as long as your phone is with you, there’s no need to be in town to do it.
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It’s all about convenience, says Jeff Perkins, a real estate agent with Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty and the co-listing agent for 12 Robindale Drive, a house in Ladue that’s the epitome of a smart home. “You can control the whole home on an app,” he says, referring to the 6,202-square-foot property, which was built in 2018. The house also features touchscreen pads that can be used to open and close blinds, change the hue of LED lights, play music anywhere in the house (including the garage), and page family members from another room.
Doug South of South Sounds, a home automation company in St. Louis, installed Control4, the home’s automation technology. “It’s a computer that runs your house,” says South. “It talks to all the different pieces of the house, so they all work together.” Homeowners can control various functions, but the app is so smart, it also works on its own. For example, owners can program the app to lower a window shade if the temperature in a particular room is getting too hot. The cost of the Control4 product ranges from approximately $700 for a basic one or two-room controller to around $3,500 for a full-home, plus install.
If you prefer to dip your toes into automation, smart home products such as Google Nest and Ring perform functions like temperature control and remote home surveillance via an app. Jeffrey Bogard of R.E.A. Homes built the house at 12 Robindale Drive. He says more people are asking about the technology and integrating it at home. “Usually when clients come to us, they’re looking for luxury, but their close second is energy efficiency, comfort and healthier indoor air quality,” he says.
Sustainability was an important goal for the current owners of the house. The residence includes 70 solar roof panels, two sets of geothermal HVAC systems, and high-efficiency water heaters that have all helped to make the home ENERGY STAR certified, meaning it meets rigorous requirements for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Instead of a standard outdoor grass lawn, the yard has been covered with native and sustainable plants, which require less watering. The lush landscaping gives the property a resort-like feel, especially when you’re sitting on the deck.
Inside the house, visitors feel like they’re at a luxury spa thanks to the lavender aromatherapy that’s pumping through the rooms—another cool feature of the home.
Marc Bluestone, owner of SmartHouse Heating and Cooling, integrated the fragrance technology. The oils can be programmed to start wafting at specific times of the day, such as after a long day at work. “There’s an endless supply of scents,” he says, including those that perfume famous hotels, ocean breeze scents for a calm summer vibe, or even seasonal aromas. Pumpkin spice, anyone?
