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Build Home Buyer Appeal With Low-Cost Audio Technolgy
 Builders seeking new ways to move their inventory may want to take a second look at multi-room audio (MRA), an option in tune with the market. But before balking at the cost of installing a full-fledged system in their existing model home, builders can put in a low-cost alternative that will let them gauge consumer interest just as effectively.
Multi-room audio has strong consumer appeal that continues to grow. Consumers are expanding and personalizing their digital music libraries so they can enjoy their music in their cars. They want similar technology for their homes so they can play their music in as many rooms as they choose.
According to a recent study by the Consumer Electronics Association, 57% of the builders surveyed said that offering and installing multi-room audio systems helped boost their profit potential last year.
How to Increase Housing Differentiation for Little Cost
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iPod dock and control panel |
Builders wanting to test the market appeal of a multi-room audio option, but who don't want the expense of putting a full-fledged system in their model, should consider creating a lower-cost system based on iPods and MP3 portable audio players.
To create the system, builders will need to install an amplified source input and connect it to an iPod or MP3 dock and in-wall or in-ceiling speakers.
Builders won’t have to install a live audio control pad with this system. They can use a blank plate covered by a transparent graphic to represent the control interface.
While simple, the system can effectively demonstrate how a full-fledged system would sound in a prospective buyer’s home and make an immediate, “I want that” impact on the home buyer.
Builders can make the presentation even more personal by encouraging their prospective home buyers to plug their own iPods and music into the system so they can hear their personal favorites played throughout the model home.
This demonstration system is affordable, too. Builders can create it using speakers that cost approximately $200 a pair, an iPod dock for about $50, an amplified in-wall local source input kit for about $125 and a nominal cost for speaker wire and installation.
Once a home buyer expresses interest in the multi-room audio option, the electronic systems contractors (ESC) working with the builder can step in and explain the different possibilities available with a multi-room audio option — including the variety of music sources that can be integrated, the number of rooms that can be served and the level of personalization that can be achieved.
Multi-room audio systems can generate strong profits and enhance the value and appeal of a home while differentiating it, and the builder, from the competition.
Differentiation is key and providing an added experience in the model that the competition lacks just might provide the difference to trigger the sale.
David Rodarte is president and chief operating officer of NuVo Technologies LLC, a manufacturer of multi-room audio systems based in Hebron, Ky. Rodarte is the chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Builder Initiative and a board member of CEA TechHome, a consumer-oriented resource to discover the benefits of home technologies. Rodarte also is a member of NAHB’s Home Technology Alliance (HTA). For more information, e-mail Rodarte, call him at 866-79-64904, or visit www.nuvotechnologies.com.
 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.
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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