Can we Provide Smart home accessories for builder during the construction

mattdominic wrote: ↑ Is it allowed to give builder the new smart home accessories like google like Nest doorbell ,Nest thermostat instead of them adding their own during construction and me removing it again because adding these later will be extra effort and extra cost for both sides

i was told they will do their own ones as a part of package and i will have to get them removed and install myself ..i really want to have a smart thermostat,nest and those new smart plugs and switches across which i ordered recently

If you asked and they said no, what are you asking us?

Jerico wrote: ↑ If you asked and they said no, what are you asking us?

This

It’s no doubt tract housing in a development
To save time & money it means you get a cookie cutter house where everything is exactly the same
And done on a set schedule
By set trades people

You want CUSTOM ... then you got to pay a boatload more money for those personal touches
Most people can not afford custom... so you get what you get
As per your contract ... finishes XYZ
No more, no less (Lol ok well sometimes less )

Welcome to THE QUIRKS of home ownership

You’ll find out over the next years / decades that there are lots of things you think others can or will do ...
To save you time or money
And they won’t

As well as dozens of things you will think you can just DIY to save time & money
And discover you are in over your head

In both ends things cost more than they should
Or you ever imagined

Number one rule of home ownership

EVERYTHING COSTS MORE ... PERIOD
So always build in some contingency / over run (10% to 25% extra at least)

Oh ya ... and you have absolutely NO CONTROL OVER OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR CHOICES
Be it your Contractor
Or the neighbours next door
It sucks at times ... but it is what it is

Not happy ... most of the time you are left with just 2 choices
Move
Or learn to live with it

Unlike renting ... moving as a home owner is UBER EXPENSIVE

Lol, so most of us just learn to live with stuff we cannot easily change
For further info see countless ... Contractors, Bylaws, Neighbour threads in this the HOME & GARDEN FORUM

I tried to pay the electrical contractors extra to do it for me and they refused.

My only advice is to re-position the light switches when you do your walk through. After I took possession, I installed a lot of motion activated switches and because of the location of the switches, some were not ideal.

Plan your home automation and make use the location of the switches work for you. Then when you take possession, rip out the switches and replace with your own.

mattdominic wrote: ↑ Is it allowed to give builder the new smart home accessories like google like Nest doorbell ,Nest thermostat instead of them adding their own during construction and me removing it again because adding these later will be extra effort and extra cost for both sides

i was told they will do their own ones as a part of package and i will have to get them removed and install myself ..i really want to have a smart thermostat,nest and those new smart plugs and switches across which i ordered recently

Put yourself in their position. Someone hands you a box of “smart devices” and asks you to install them. You may or may not be familiar with them, you don’t have an Internet connection in the home, but you’re pretty sure you’ll hear the customer complain about it if they don’t work. I’d probably stick with installing the cheap throwaway ones too.

C

You can always ask the guys on site, but as said above, you never know what they will say. I had a house being built about 20 years ago and I was over there at least a couple times a week. I had the framers put a basement window (backsplit, so the window was in the raised framed half wall, not in the foundation) a couple feet over, got the heating contractor to run basement heating ducts down to the basement floor, and the electricians run coax cables up to my eaves to hook up a satellite dish to. I also had the bricklayer put quoin corners on either side of my garage. The framing and the coax didn't cost me extra, the other guys did charge, which was expected and understood. The electrician even assembled and installed 2 ceiling fans for no extra charge. I did bring pizza and donuts a few times over the course of the job as well, so that might have bought me a little goodwill.

So, you never know until you ask. Approach one of the electricians away from others and ask what you are after and make clear you are expecting to pay for it. They may be busy enough that a little under the table cash might not matter, but maybe the guy might want to some extra cash in his pocket too.

Do you mean your builder that is building your custom home? Or the builder doing 200 sub-divisions in a new plot of land?

mattdominic wrote: ↑ Is it allowed to give builder the new smart home accessories like google like Nest doorbell ,Nest thermostat instead of them adding their own during construction and me removing it again because adding these later will be extra effort and extra cost for both sides

i was told they will do their own ones as a part of package and i will have to get them removed and install myself ..i really want to have a smart thermostat,nest and those new smart plugs and switches across which i ordered recently

If the runs are at the same place I don't see why a thermostat and door bell is that hard to do later.
Even replacing smart switches. Why bother with the builder, you know he is gonna charge you $$$$.. just DIY. Or get a electrition after possession and 80-100/hr.. it's not a lot.

The Nest smart thermostat uses the exact same wires as a normal thermostat. There's no special installation necessary, it literally just replaces the standard thermostat. You can do it yourself in 5 minutes.

TLSRULZ wrote: ↑ If the runs are at the same place I don't see why a thermostat and door bell is that hard to do later.
Even replacing smart switches. Why bother with the builder, you know he is gonna charge you $$$$.. just DIY. Or get a electrition after possession and 80-100/hr.. it's not a lot.

ya that's what i was thinking of doing ..my point here is i am saving builder few bucks as I will be throwing those devices anyways and then can use it for next house but it makes sense not to give them extra headache so i got the answer

mattdominic wrote: ↑ ya that's what i was thinking of doing ..my point here is i am saving builder few bucks as I will be throwing those devices anyways and then can use it for next house but it makes sense not to give them extra headache so i got the answer

Lol, again your thinking is off

Builder isn’t gonna save a few bucks

Even if he did the job for you ... he’s gonna charge you big time FOR THE FAVOUR
Plus that’s on top of what you paid for the standard fittings
(You paid too much for them to begin with in your new home construction ... they are yours to keep )

Still gonna charge your neighbour for whatever parts he installs at their house too

There is no savings to be had

Your best bet ... when it comes to a new home is the standard finishes
Then do the upgrades as DIY projects later
(Or hire help)

That’s gonna be cheaper than the builder
In the long run

The standard finishes ... thermostat, doorbell, door knobs, light fixtures ...
Whatever you change out
You sell online for a few bucks ... Kijiji
Or ... you donate them to the Habitat for Humanity Restore

* ONLY TIME worth paying builders INFLATED NON STANDARD UPGRADES
Is when the changes are structural etc
Crap that is gonna be too big a PITA to change later on after possession
Cosmetic stuff is ALL DIY ... after delivery capable