Re: Have you sold a home with HA features?

["BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I've sold two homes equipped with extensive X10 based systems and found
that it had absolutely no effect on the purchase price. In fact some
buyers were intimidated by the concept and saw it as "too complicated"
before even learning what it was or how it worked. The last home I sold
with HA required my going back several times to help them program the
system to their liking.  They had no interest in learning how to program
it themselves. I haven't heard from them in a couple of years so I
assume they tore it out.
 In building an oceanfront spec home now that's listed for $7 million
I'm putting in structured wiring for data, phone and TV as well as
surround sound speaker wiring w/whole house audio wiring.  I'll put in
cables wherever I think a need might arise because cabling is cheap but
I will only offer HA as an extra cost option based on whatever a buyer
wants. The home will have a solid security seystem and I'll either use
Caddx or HAI for that.

From:Dandelion Acres
nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

> I'm curious if you feel there was an impact on price or presentation
> in the sale of that home.
>
> I sold a home about four years ago that had a fairly large amount of
> X-10 in it, along with full security, sound, network and a few other
> gadgets that, in my mind, were pretty cool and useful. It was
> mentioned in passing in the ads, a flyer in the home detailed it, and
> when the home finally sold the buyer couldn't have cared less.
>
> It's a fact that a seller cannot "recover" the emotional value
> ingrained in the home, nor can one get all of the labor/time put into
> building your toyland.
>
> As I develop my current home, I'm on target to create a very nice
> executive-style home with very pratical and very pervasive technology
> put to work throughout the property. I can't imagine not marketing it
> with the tech features profiled, and will build a portfolio with that
> specific goal. After all, we have to try to justify a high(er) price
> don't we? And what better way than to market to somebody who will use
> and appreciate it.
> Thoughts?