In today’s world of smart home technology, we seem to be becoming dumb and dumber.
Raise your hand if you have no idea how to make your TV turn on and interface with your Roku and surround sound … or getting your wireless sub-woofer working with your second TV in another room.
Do you have tired head yet? Me too.
As more and more smart devices are controlling our homes (and our lives), wouldn’t it be nice to have an idea of what capabilities a home has or would need before buying the home?
Inspection is Part of Home Buying Process
When a home is under contract it’s a no-brainer to hire a general inspector to get a certified understanding of the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical systems, and HVAC system in the home. Buyers have been doing this for years and years.
How great would an audio/video/technology inspection be when purchasing a home? If a buyer wants an expert opinion on the roof or foundation don’t you think it would be smart to get an expert opinion on the existing wiring and technology capabilities of the home?
Clear View of Technology
With over 20 years of audio/visual/technology expertise, Fort Worth-based entrepreneur Mark Vogel has created Clear Inspect — a company that provides inspections of a home’s existing technology capabilities.
“Homes built pre-2000 are probably not capable of handling all the smart devices used today,” explains Vogel in an exclusive interview with Daltxrealestate.com. “Homes weren’t built (and many still aren’t built) to use voice commands, iPad, iPhones, automated HVAC, or voice-controlled electrical systems.”
Clear Inspect offers a certified inspection of all those tangled wires inside the walls, in the attic, or coming out of various openings in the home. With three levels of inspection, future home buyers can have a comprehensive overview of their new home’s capabilities, or a road map to help them get there.
3 Levels of Inspection
“Just as a standard home inspection would be ordered during the buyer’s option period, that’s when Clear Inspect would be contacted as well,” says Vogel. “We have a basic package that runs $350 where we inspect what the home has and what the capabilities for that existing wiring can be. The next level of inspection is a system evaluation of current components and how they can integrate into today’s technologies. That inspection runs $550. The most comprehensive inspection is a complete analysis of the home and a simple ‘cheat sheet’ of how to operate all the existing systems in the home. That service costs $750.”
Inspection and Consultation — Not Hardware
Although Vogel has been supplying and installing wiring and hardware components for high-end custom homes and builders since 2000, Clear Inspect is not in the business of selling products.
“After our inspection and consultation, if a homeowner wants new hardware or installation assistance, we will be happy to recommend a few companies that we know can handle the business and provide quality materials,” says Vogel. “Our goal is not to sell speakers or wire, simply to help home buyers understand what the current capabilities of the home, and assist them on how to get to their ultimate goal when it comes to having the most updated smart home possible.”
