Smart Home in an Altbau
How to integrate smart home technology in a historical home
Historical Altbau buildings offer coveted high ceilings, large double windows and doors, and real hardwood flooring. The irreplicable charm of Altbaus is certainly a valuable trait, but what about modern comfort and energy efficiency between your high walls? We will show you the advantages of a smart home in an Altbau, and which type will suit you best.
What does a smart home offer?
The basic idea of a smart home is to increase comfort, energy efficiency and safety within your own four walls. Timers, sensors and other technical aids enable a home to put this idea into practice. They ensure intelligent interaction between different household appliances. The effort for you is as minimal as possible. So if you decide to live in a smart home, you have more time to look after your own interests and live more comfortably, safely and sustainably.
Which smart home solution is most suitable for an Altbau?
Altbaus are steeped in history, have generous floor plans and their aesthetics are often a delight, so it is understandable that they are highly sought-after by those looking for an apartment. However, having been around for 100 years or so, it's understandable that they may be showing a few signs of ageing. In terms of fixtures and fittings, it is not easy to keep up with the younger competition. However, this is no reason to declare them dead, because an apartment does not have to be rebuilt in order to be able to use the latest technology. Wireless smart home systems are ideal for this purpose, allowing you to avoid a mess of cables. Various household appliances are wirelessly connected to each other and controlled centrally from a module such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
There are starter kits from various suppliers who are now trying to make their products compatible with each other. A big advantage of wireless solutions for an intelligent home is often the ease of use and simple controls. It makes modern technology understandable and accessible, even for those less technically-minded. A cable-based variant is certainly not out of the question, but it would involve considerably more effort, and therefore be significantly more expensive. However, if you are planning renovation work anyway, it may be advisable to install appropriate cabling in the apartment at the same time, including a bus system. A bus system enables data transmission between the various devices. In other words, your toaster and your fridge can then communicate with each other as needed, raising your kitchen experience into new dimensions.
If you are not yet so familiar with this area, and may be sceptical about the extent to which a smart home could add value to your everyday life, there are entry-level options. These concentrate on the essentials, are relatively inexpensive and particularly easy to use. A smart lighting system, for example, which provides atmospheric lighting for home cinema evenings, could be an ideal starting point.
What obstacles may be in your way?
Altbau features normally perceived as positive could be obstacles when installing a smart home system. Solid walls and ceilings not only make it difficult to lay cables, but can also interfere with the wireless signal between the devices. With cable-based solutions, it is definitely worth weighing up the additional effort against the expected benefit before you begin. If you rely on wireless, you can use a signal booster to ensure coverage throughout your home. These do not even need to be integrated into the system to amplify the signal and provide greater connectivity.
A practical solution for older homes
Despite these obstacles, one thing is certain: a smart home in an Altbau is practical and achievable. Owners of an apartment in an older building don't have to be left behind by the modern world. If you don't want to take the plunge right away, you can try out individual components to see whether they are helpful in your everyday life. Regardless, if you are renovating or buying an unrenovated apartment, incorporating smart home technology in your Altbau is a longterm sustainable solution.