A local home expert answers questions about the smart-home technology trend that is happening in and around The Woodlands.
Alberto Garcia Founder of Woodlands-based company Smart Tech USA
What are a few options for homeowners wanting to integrate more technology in their homes? We provide smart technology for residential and commercial spaces, also for luxury transportation—cars, boats and jets. Everything is custom-built. … It’s nice to come home and touch a screen on your smartphone or tablet and the lights dim 30 percent, the shades open, and the coffee is ready. Everything is electronically controlled and is automated.
How much does it cost to create a smart home in The Woodlands? Everything is custom-made. I can choose $1,000 speakers if I want or $30 speakers. It depends on the client and what you are installing. You can have four basic cameras or 50 state-of-the-art cameras with fiber optics. In The Woodlands people usually invest around 5 percent of the value of the home, so if a house is $500,000 then people will invest approximately $25,000.
How many homeowners in The Woodlands are choosing to integrate smart home technology? We have clients—for instance, [in the] Carlton Woods [neighborhood]. It is the nicest area, and the homes start upwards of $1 million. I would say 35 percent of them have installed smart home technology. In the main area of The Woodlands it’s not more than 20 percent, but the trend is going up. Right now, there are a lot of high rises developing in the Houston [and] Galleria area, and most are prewired for smart technology.
