When it comes to installing a new smart home system, we know you do not want to waste any time. It's also safe to say you don’t want to make any mistakes along the way.
The systems we install are complicated and will likely play a vital role in your day-to-day life.
To ensure you don’t make any of the mistakes we commonly see, we decided to address the top six questions and concerns people like you have when making this type of decision.
Top 6 Questions our Smart Home Clients ask us from Bekins on Vimeo.
1. When it comes to electronics, is Bekins the same price as the big box stores, or Amazon?
If you are looking for the cheapest 4K TV, then we may not be the best fit for you. When it comes to the products we offer, Bekins is often the same price as the box stores and Amazon.
We use our decades of experience installing and supporting home systems to decide which brands we recommend for you. You may find a cheaper option somewhere else, but it’s likely to be from a brand we do not carry because we don’t recommend that brand for your home.
We offer many of the same products you can find online or at a box store such as Sony and Sonos. In addition, we have earned the right to sell and install some of the best select brands , such as Crestron, Lutron, and Paradigm. Brands like these ensure customer satisfaction. These brands trust Bekins to perform a high-quality design and installation for you.
2. How reliable will my system be after it is installed?
If you have one of the brands we recommend installed by our team of the most certified installers in the state, it will be reliable, easy to use, and designed specifically to your needs.
Impromperly designed systems and unqualified installations are two of the biggest issues in our industry today. It is important to buy quality products, then have them designed and installed by certified and knowledgeable experts.
The Bekins team was named Best In The U.S. by the Home Technology Association and became only the second company in the United States to earn CEDIA’s top honor: Member of Excellence.
However, any electronic device needs firmware and software upgrades. You will always need routine maintenance as technology evolves very quickly, but Bekins can also help with that.
3. With everything going wireless, do I still need to “wire” for electronics in my new construction home?
Yes, we would always recommend that you go “wired” wherever possible. The reason for this is that wired communication is still much faster and more dependable than wireless.
It is much easier and cleaner to wire your home for your electronics during the construction of a new home, particularly before insulation and drywall are installed.
4. Why don’t I get the speeds from my mobile phone that I pay for when I go to SpeedTests.net or sites like it?
This is a great example of what we said in the previous question the maximum achievable WiFi speeds are still quite a bit lower than “wired” speeds. If you can plug into a wire, you will almost always see faster downloads, fewer interruptions , and better-quality sound or video when you stream.
If you purchase an internet plan which advertises 1 Gigabyte (GB) of speed, you will likely only see between 200-350 Megabytes per second (MBps) on your WiFi.
Don’t worry though, 200-350 MBps is still very fast and will perform well with all video streaming providers.
5. I want to ditch cable and only pay for streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, but I’m concerned my internet isn’t good enough. What internet speeds do I need to stream apps?
This question will depend on how many devices you use in your home at one time and what kind of apps you are using. If there are only a couple of people using a few devices in the home then most streaming internet services will work very well if you purchase 50 MBps on your internet plan.
However, if you have many devices streaming at once, like children playing games on their tablet while someone watches Netflix, and you are in a virtual meeting, you can see you may need more speed.
We would recommend paying for a 250MBps plan or more to avoid long load times or any lag in audio and video.
6. What’s the warranty on the system?
This is a great question because installing an automated lighting system, automated shades, home video, and home audio is a big investment. We highly recommend you take steps to protect that investment by talking with our experts about the Bekins Service Plan. Without the Bekins Service Plan, you receive a 90-day warranty on our workmanship when you purchase installation by our team of professionals.
You can receive a warranty on the product itself. How long is the product's warranty? That depends on which product you choose. Most offer 1–5 years, and some offer a lifetime warranty at no additional charge (such as lighting control and motorized shades).
So why would I need a Bekins Service Plan? Many of the manufacturers' warranties do not cover the cost of labor, but our Service Plan does.
What if I Have More Questions?
If you have an appointment set up with one of our smart home experts, then we look forward to answering any of the questions you may have. If you do not have an appointment set up yet, then give us a call at 616-288-1020 or click here to contact one of our CEDIA and HTA Certified experts.