The Australian dream of owning a home is evolving alongside modern technology. It’s now a smart home we desire. This futuristic living space fuels our fantasies of building our own little piece of the world.

Close to 10,000 homes are being approved for construction every month in Australia, and whether you are looking to build for yourself, or to rent, you have to plan for the future ahead.

Over the next three years, the number of connected devices in the average Australian home has been predicted to more than double to over 30. These days we take it for granted that our TVs, phones, game consoles, laptops and more will connect to fast broadband, but what about your fridge?

How about your coffee machine, your air conditioner, your solar panels or your windows (yes, your windows!)? These are the devices that, in only a few years from now, may very well be ever-connected to fast broadband.

Are you building your home with this future in mind? 

Future-proofing your new home

Building a new home is the biggest investment you’re ever likely to make. And if you talk to anyone who has been down that road before you, they will stress how important it is to plan ahead.

Any changes during or after you build can cost big money and can often be quite destructive. Future-proofing is a vital way to not only save money in the short-term, but ensure the long-term value of your property for resale or rent.

Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure is preparing for the smart home future. That’s what the nbn™ broadband access network is all about: a new and upgraded fixed phone and internet network.

By 2020, nbn will have fulfilled its pioneering commitment to provide access to fast broadband to all Australians. It means that any current or future home developments that make themselves “smart home ready” will be able to capitalise on access to Australia’s new broadband. 

A smart home is quite different from the house you currently live in. It’s about more than just surfing the web, communicating with friends and family, running your business, and entertainment. It’s about empowering you with full control and command over your home through connected devices.

At a rudimentary level, this will allow you to operate devices remotely – like connect to your air conditioner from your phone to turn it on before you get home. Or see what is inside your fridge when you are at the shops and can’t remember if you need milk.

It can allow you to take the solar energy you are harvesting and deploy it towards your pool’s heating ahead of a Friday night barbeque.

But on a deeper level, it allows virtual assistants like Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google Assistant to interact with your devices and offer you updates or alter settings on command.

It allows your home to understand your movements and the role of other devices so it can provide a more efficient and cost-effective lifestyle. Imagine if your home knew you were watching TV in the lounge, so turned off the lights in your bedroom.

Plus, as machine learning forges forward, your home could adapt to your lifestyle and run itself accordingly. If it learns you typically go to bed at 11pm on a Monday, it could ensure the room is warm in time.

The Block and Australia’s new broadband

Did you know that 80 per cent of buyers say that a reliable broadband connection is a key consideration when searching for a property? Or that 44 per cent of millennials would rather have an apartment with smart technology than a parking space?

What about the fact 86 per cent of renters aged under 35 years, and 65 per cent of baby boomers, would be willing to pay higher rent for a "smart" apartment with automated or remotely controlled devices?

Powered by nbn, more and more home owners and renters are seeking a smart future. No wonder that The Block, Australia’s most watched reality TV show, is getting its latest contestants to build their properties fast broadband ready.

Now in its thirteenth season, the episode of The Block, which recently aired on October 4, introduced the nbn™ broadband access network.

Steve Wilson, an nbn Deployment Specialist who featured in the episode, reveals: “on the new series we’re connecting properties to the nbn™ access network in real-time and providing access via retail service providers.”

The work will allow contestants to connect to Wi-Fi in their respective houses, showcasing the benefits of fast broadband to thousands of TV viewers across the country.

A representative told nbn, “new homes provide the perfect environment to plan for the ideal tech solution, but you need to plan early so that nbn can ensure we design the right network solution in time for when residents move in or when you plan to sell.

Without an nbn™-powered plan, many of the smart devices being installed won’t have the necessary bandwidth to work to their full potential.”

How to plan your build for the future

If you are planning on building a property, there is plenty of help available to make sure you are smart home ready. Your first port of call should be the nbn™ Homeowner and Builder’s Guide.

This will take you through the major decisions you want to make as early in planning as possible to ensure you get the maximum benefit for a minimum cost.

A key element to consider is where you will need data and landline connection points. Children’s bedrooms, kitchens and even garages are rooms you might not suspect future homes will need connection points.

Do you know where to place your router for Wi-Fi? For example, did you know it’s usually optimal to have it in the centre of your home and at least two metres off the ground?

Did you also know that certain appliances and items such as fish tanks can dampen the signal? And what about the equipment provided by nbn? How big is it, and where will it sit?

To further help the decision process, we recommend visiting this FAQ portal, which can further help you plan. Building for the future is vitally important and will give you the best experience with your future home.

With an nbn™ powered plan, the smart home will make for a more efficient and connected life.