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Multi-Room Audio and Video Is on Home Buyers’ Radar
By Al Baron, Polk Audio
Listening to music is in demand.
Last January, Apple reported selling more than 22 million iPods during the last quarter of 2007. That helped fuel a 17% growth in the company’s revenue over the same period a year earlier
What does the demand for music mean for home builders and remodelers?
Today’s home buyers want music that’s as readily accessible as an iPod. They don’t just want music in their living rooms, great rooms or bedrooms; they want music in their home offices, on their decks, by their pools, even in their showers.
And builders and remodelers are in position to meet this demand because of the latest advances in audio components and structured wiring. They can deliver the multi-room audio and video that home owners want.
High quality speakers are available in every price range ― from modest installations to showcase-quality professional designs. This enables multi-room audio to be scaled to home buyers’ budgets.
Also, home buyers want to hear their music and not necessarily see the component. With the sleekness and “invisibility” of today’s technology, many options are available to satisfy that demand, as well.
So, what multi-room audio trends are driving home buyer demands?
Music Anywhere, Anytime
More consumers are able to enjoy music in a variety of areas in the home because of extended connectivity, increased affordability of technologies and the growing consumer trend toward convenience.
- Outdoor Speakers. Home owners are spending more time outside ― on the deck, pool or the patio. Nearly all multi-room audio systems — also called whole house systems ― include weather-resistant speakers with high quality sound reproduction outside. Builders and remodelers can mount them under eves or on decks.
- Shower Speakers. The iPod revolution revealed the rekindled passion for music. Waterproof and stylish speakers are now available and capture the interest of the audio-loving and multi-tasking tendencies of home buyers.
Invisible or Built-in Sound
Big bulky speakers are out. Heard but not seen is in. This is growing in importance as more home buyers want their equipment to be invisible or blended in with their design choices. Builders have many options to offer their customers.
- Subwoofer/Satellite Systems. This type of speaker system — with tiny speakers on the walls and a small subwoofer located anywhere in the room — has been growing in popularity for the last 10 years or so.
- Built-in Ceiling or In-wall Speakers. The in-ceiling speaker category commands two-thirds of all built-in speakers. Home owners can now listen to high quality performance and sound without having to give up space for large tower speakers.
- Bar-Style Surround Sound Systems. This system features zero clutter, no rear speakers and no rear wires. Complete surround sound is available from a single, slender speaker that nestles right under a flat panel TV. Enhanced sound is seamlessly matched with movie-quality viewing. Builders and remodelers can offer these with all the electronics and a DVD player in a console.
- On-Wall Home Theater Speaker Solutions. These encased speakers clear up floor space and offer high-performance, surround sound combined with a sleek appeal demanded by the market.
More Profits, Higher Profit Margins
Multi-room audio and structured wiring are in demand and will help builders and remodelers make more money and increase their profit margins.
Nine in 10 builders reported that adding home technologies increased (31%) or maintained (61%) their revenues, according to a recent State of the Builder Study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
Other ways multi-room audio and structured wiring can help builders and remodelers in the marketplace include:
- Differentiation
Multi-room audio and structured wiring also will help builders and remodelers differentiate themselves from their competition.
Nearly 89% of the builders indicated that home technologies are important to marketing homes, according to the CEA study.
- Meeting Demand
More than 67% of home builders in 2007 offered multi-room audio to their customers, making it the third most installed technology in homes, according to the CEA study.
The most popular technology offered by builders was structured wiring.
- Increased Home Buyer Affordability
Multi-room audio products are available in a broad range of prices and options.
In addition, home technologies installed in new homes that are considered built-in amenities may be rolled into the mortgage, increasing the affordability for new home buyers.
Benefits of Establishing Business Partnerships With Electronic Systems Contractors
Partnering with qualified Electronic Systems Contractors (ESCs) enables builders and remodelers to utilize professionals who have the expertise, education and experience in home technology products and installation. This is similar to builder relationships with other trades such as plumbing and HVAC.
- Fewer Callbacks
Builders can arrange for ESCs to have separate agreements with the home buyer and ESC to address such things as service, product warranties and home owner training and to reduce builder or remodeler callbacks.
- Increased Customer Service
The separate agreements also reflect well on builder and remodelers because the ESCs are responding quickly and directly to the customers’ need for training and to answer their questions.
- No Need to Sweat the Details ― or the Upgrades
Technologies upgrade and change quickly. Keeping up with the changes and knowing the intricate details of the newest audio and video components is the specialty of the ESC trade.
Much like they do when they rely on other trades for their expertise, builders and remodelers can focus on the business of building and leave the details to ESCs.
Al Baron is a product line manager at Polk Audio, a leading manufacturer of premium loudspeakers and consumer electronics products for the custom installation and retail channels. He is an active member of the NAHB Home Technology Alliance (HTA), CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) and CEA. For more information, e-mail Baron, or call him 410-764-5202.
 Information About Home Technology Available From HTA
The Home Technology Alliance (HTA) is a partnership between NAHB and the Custom Electronic Design Installation Association (CEDIA) that was formed to position the housing industry to effectively meet the growing home buyer demand for home technology and provide maximum return on investment in the new home building and remodeling process.
For more information, visit www.nahb.org/HTA.
 CEDIA: A Source for Experienced ESCs
The Custom Electronic Design Installation Association (CEDIA) is a founding sponsor in the Home Technology Alliance and an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home.
CEDIA members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this field. CEDIA serves as a source for Electronic Systems Contractors (ESCs).
For more information on CEDIA, visit the association’s Web site at www.cedia.org. To find an ESC, click here.
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