Coming soon - a look at what's possible
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/...n=property1205

"In Surrey, Marc Rowan, managing director of Centenary Homes, has just put the finishing touches to Centenary House in Kingston-upon-Thames (www.palladianestates.co.uk). For £6m you get an 8,000 sq ft home fitted with a dizzying list of technology by the specialist installer Crestron.

There is an audio visual system served by 50 speakers, accessing a shared music library, a smart lighting system, climate control for each room, and a CCTV network that can be viewed via any television in the property".

how about
http://www.dezrez.com/DRApp/Search.A...&WCE=001546212
asking price £5,650,000

Its all bollocks.. for that money I want a much bigger cinema screen with more seats... in fact I want sofas not seats, the pool is a waste of time coz I will never use it and the huge kitchen is a waste coz i will live on takeaways (turn the kitchen into a gym)

rip off

that cinema is tiny

Already got a CCTV system viewable anywhere. It's not that complicated. I can even see it on my android phone. Tech is not that expensive, not to the tune of £6m though.

£6m buys you the house as well, not just the tech

What I'm suggesting is that the tech is just for show, it's not a reason for the house to be expensive.

You're missing the point. This isn't a cinema for enthusiasts like us. I mean, just look at it - the speakers are in the ceiling fer goodness sake! If you want performance that's the last place you have the speakers.

This is a tick-box life-style home for the seriously minted...
[LIST][*]Porsche Cayene for Dad because he can't decide between a sports car and 4x4 [tick][*]Chelsea tractor of choice for mummy on the school run [tick][*]iPhones all round because, well...everyone has one don't they [tick] [*]Private school for the kiddies + a peer group approved range of extra curricular activities [tick][*]holiday homes - 1 in the UK + villa somewhere sunny [tick][*]extra 4 holidays a year for mummy and the kids - following the herd to the familiar haunts [tick][*]kitchen with the latest cooking gadgets that rarely gets used [tick][*]more en suites than you can shake a stick at [tick][*]walk-in wardrobe/dressing room bigger than the average UK living room [tick][*]swimming pool, private gym & wine cellar [tick][*]nanny in case there are any little ankle biters left at home too young to board [tick][*]cleaner, because "well dahling you don't expect me to do that, do you?" [tick][*]private trainer [tick][*]gardener [tick][*]Look at what my lights and window blinds can do... "It's something called Lutron, apparently" [tick][*]... oh, and there's a cinema screen in the basement too [tick][/LIST]
It's a different world

The tech contributes very little to the price of the house.... but when there are so many properties to choose from then the one with the best toys will command the most attention and the best price.

Without the tech then the location and size of the property would still command price IRO £5.5+.

We have the same thing in my neck of the woods. The Cheshire triangle is the countries richest area outside of London. You can see this sort of thing when property developers attack a house.

the seriously wealthy rarely have the time to play house developer for themselves, so they'll buy a property that delivers a certain living standard. Having worked on several properties in the £2m-£4m price bracket myself I can tell you that a lot of what's installed isn't that great a quality, but the backup service has to be impeccable hence the price reflects that.

if could afford a house in that price range, I wouldn't want a load of technology "bling" that I would never use.

I like the 'dumb waiter' to bring the mail up from the letter box, Now that is the height of laziness.