Lighting control systems and you

Photo by Reinaldo Kevin on Unsplash

Without quite realizing it, my bedroom's part of a quiet revolution in commercial lighting control systems. In the old days, when someone wanted to turn on the lights, all he or she had to do was turn on a light switch. But that's not quite how it's done any more.

Here's what I mean and here's how this relates to me. When I get up in the middle of the night I don't fumble around in the dark like I used to. They were dark ages, literally. 

Instead, I say "Alexa, turn on the light." And almost by magic, the light on my night stand turns on and I can make my way to the bathroom without stubbing a toe. I've been using a smart bulb linked to my Echo Dot for about a year now and it still seems like some kind of a high tech miracle. That I can also tell my light bulb to dim or turn off in an hour, or even turn on every evening at 7:13 makes me feel like I'm a character on The Jetsons.

But that's just me and a single bulb in a reading lamp. It's fun and it definitely makes my life a bit better. But what if, instead of a single reading lamp, someone could control all of the lighting in a busy restaurant or an international airport? What if, instead of just turning off and on or dimming, a lighting control system could help a building meet energy efficiency standards?

Well, those kinds of lighting control systems are here already. Such systems make my single smart bulb seem like an intellectual lightweight.

Lighting control systems play an essential role in today's modern commercial buildings. A well-designed lighting control system should achieve two primary objectives. 

First, it will provide a user with the ability to control the lights in their space best to meet their needs. A great example of this would be a restaurant, where the staff wants to control the dimming levels depending by the time of day. 

The second objective of a lighting control system is to meet energy code requirements. Everyone wants to save energy, but Federal, State, and City codes mandate specific energy codes that must be followed. Energy codes are designed to reduce costs and energy consumption by automating light fixtures. These codes account for things like the amount of natural light coming into the space or if the room is occupied or not. Some more progressive energy codes require lighting control systems to dim the lighting if there is a high energy demand and the energy grid is stressed. 

Lighting control systems used to be large cabinets of dimmers or relays installed in a mechanical room and connected to a computer that required a programmer or integrator to make them work. Modern lighting control systems take a different approach to lighting control by providing a control system that installs faster, works out of the box and can be activated in minutes by anyone with a smartphone. These systems come in both wireless and wired setups, which allow it to be installed in new construction or be retrofitted into an existing building.

Think of it as a smart bulb but for a whole building. Ten years ago, I was in Germany for a meeting. During a break I walked into the men's room and the lights came on as soon as I walked into the room. I'd never seen anything like it and I was amazed by those motion detected lights. 

Lighting control systems have come a long, long way since then and I invite you to learn more about them before your next project.

Some Advantages of Buying New Homes

Everyone wants to have a residential property they can call their own. We are not just talking about a rented property that you call home. Here, we mean a property that you can call yours simply because you own it.

When it is time to take action towards owning a property, we all are usually faced with two options. It is either we build something from the scratch or buy a property.

The truth is that both options have their advantages as well as disadvantages. Understanding the highs and lows that come with either option will help you make the right decision. And for the record, allowing the decision of others to influence yours is not the right way to go about this.

This is because you have your peculiarities that should determine the best option for you. Speaking of the advantages and disadvantages of either building or buying a property, you can get more information here: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/062614/should-you-buy-or-build-home.asp

This article intends to help you make the right choice. We will do this by paying attention to what you stand to gain if you buy a home for sale on the market.

We will also discuss a few other things in passing. The need to make the right decision in this regard is why we strongly advise you to keep reading.

The Benefits that Comes with Buying a New Home for Sale

Some of the benefits of buying a new home for sale include the following:

Avoiding the Stress of Building

Those homeowners that decided to build and are willing to speak the truth will attest to the fact that building can be very stressful. This is even if you have contractors, consultants, or even building development and design professionals to help out.

This is because you will be called upon to make key decisions at the very least. Also, you would need to visit the project at various points in time to see the state of things.

Furthermore, there are so many professionals involved in the building process. Surveyors, carpenters, home inspectors, architects, plumbers, and many more are involved. The truth is that dealing with every one of them can be very burdensome.

Well, you should know that buying a residential property is less stressful. You simply check options and strike a deal as long as you like the property and have the means to pay. This is a reason you might want to consider this option.

Many Options to Choose from

One of the said disadvantages of buying a home is not getting your dream property. The argument is that building means that you are involved every step of the way and you will make sure you get what you desire.

Well, this fact is not entirely true about buying new homes for sale. Firstly, this is because there are many options in the market. You likely would come across one, two, or some of the new homes for sale that ticks all or most of the boxes. So, we beg to disagree with the dream-home theory.

Secondly, you could add a few touches to the newly purchased property to meet your demands. You might want to consider buying rather than building for this reason.

A Modern Touch

If you must buy a residential property, we strongly advise that you get one that is newly constructed. This is for several reasons. The touch of modernity in the designs and other aspects of the property is one of the reasons we advise this.

This is not something you can be sure of if you buy an old or vintage property. Trying to upgrade an old or vintage property will also come at an expensive cost. This is why we recommend getting something that is newly constructed.

Other than this, an old constructed property might have seen its best years before you decided to buy it. So, it is just safer for you to buy something new.

Choice Areas

The truth is that there are many benefits of building a home. However, one of the usual downsides is not being able to build in a choice area. This might be because you cannot get land in your area of choice.

Well, the chances of finding a home in your area of choice are a lot more likely. You may just have to do some serious renovations to make the property fit into what you want.

Time Concerns with Building Are Avoided

The subject of time is another usual disadvantage of building. Building a property takes time no matter how fast the construction team is.

Well, this is not a problem if you choose to buy a home and have the means to do so. This is because you can move in after the deal is struck with the seller.

Financial Incentives

We are not saying that buying a property costs less than building. This is because there are many instances when building turns out to be the more cost-effective option.

Be that as it may, we have realized that there are more financial incentives attached to buying than building. For instance, applying for a mortgage loan seems easier this way.

This is because you have a detailed amount that is required to purchase the home for sale. Well, it is not that easy with building even though you can apply for a mortgage loan.

This is because the first mortgage loan might not be able to cater for the project as initially thought. This happens a lot and is why a second mortgage may be required.

The bad news is that getting a second mortgage is not a stroll in the park. Also, the terms may not be so favorable. For more on the processes involved, you can read this.

On a Final Note

There are several benefits attached to buying a home for sale. This is especially true if what you are getting is a new home. We also advise that you deal with experienced and capable service providers in the sale of these properties when you decide to buy.