Do the following sentiments sound at all anything familiar to you? You mean, I can turn my outside lights on when I am 500 miles away from home?? Or, I can use my iPhone to turn off the coffee pot that I mistakenly left on???

Advances in technology have led to the popularity of home automation solutions, and if you are anything like me, these systems seem so futuristic that I am left scratching my head most of the time. That is why I put together this short list of the three most important things to consider in regards to choosing home automation installers, an alarm security system, or even a custom home theatre or home multi room sound system.

1. Price

I know, I know, price seems to be the most obvious factor. But the reason I put price on this list is not only because you get what you pay for, but there are features associated with home automation controls that you may not realize come with a price tag.

For example, does the home security system and ongoing monitoring come with standard home automation controls, or is there an extra fee? In addition, find out the installation costs (and how invasive the installation will be). These costs can add up quickly (and dramatically) depending on how expansive you want your home automation design to be.

2. Features

Do you want voice recognition or can you go without and as such, a manual switch will do just fine? How about wireless versus wired? Do you want to be able to control lighting, turn on your alarm system, lock a door, or even see who is ringing your doorbell when you are not at home?

In addition, have you considered if you want a hardware or software based control? Or because you want a hybrid of the two? My point is, there are so many possible features when it comes to home automation controls (many of which I did not even know existed), and you need to review all of the possibilities.

3. Accessibility

Accessibility applies to both the flexibility of the home automation controls (and their options) as well as access to customer service and support. If you are going to shell out the cash for innovative home automation controls and systems, you better be sure somebody will be there if things go awry. In line with accessibility is the warranty or guarantee from the manufacturer or installer.

So in conclusion, if you want to make your home smarter, you need to be smart and do your homework. If you have any other home security systems comparison tips, please share your comments below! For more, read this link: robertssoundideas.com