If you’re planning a renovation, refurbishment, or building your dream home from scratch, this one’s for you. At Customised, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how we bring a smart home to life — from the products we love, to the process we follow, to the timeline that makes it all come together. Let’s walk through the six key steps to creating a home that’s connected, efficient, and ready for the future.
Step 1: Consultation & Design
Every project begins with a consultation and design phase. This is where we sit down and talk through your needs, your lifestyle, and the systems that will make your home work seamlessly for you. We’ll highlight a few non-negotiables — the things every modern home needs, such as a solid wired and wireless home network.
Once we’ve established your requirements and budget, we move into the design phase, integrating the systems and cabling layout onto your project drawings. These might be simple floor plans or detailed architectural drawings. From there, we create a blueprint for your build team and electrical contractor, showing exactly where to run cables for TVs, speakers, blinds, cameras, and more.
Step 2: First Fix – Laying the Foundations
In UK construction terms, first fix is when the trades start running all the vital infrastructure — electrical wiring, plumbing, heating pipework, and, of course, our smart home cabling. During this stage, Customised supervises and checks progress. We’re not doing the heavy lifting ourselves, but we make sure every cable is correctly placed and signed off before the walls are sealed up. Getting it right at this stage saves huge amounts of time (and money) later on.
Step 3: Second Fix – Bringing It to Life
Once plastering and decorating begin, we enter the second fix. This is when the cables start to reappear as outlets, speakers, lighting points, and network sockets. We deal with all the specialist cabling — Cat6/Cat7 for networking, coax for TV, fibre optics for Internet, and cabling for security, door entry, and gate systems. All of these cables route back to a central equipment location, like a cupboard, loft, or utility room — the brain of your home technology.
Step 4: Final Fix – The Smart Tech Arrives
Now comes the exciting part — installing the technology itself. We start by setting up your network using UniFi devices: routers, switches, and wireless access points for complete indoor and outdoor coverage. Once the Internet is live, it’s not just you who benefits — your site team does too!
Next, we install UniFi Protect security products — high-quality indoor/outdoor cameras, motion alerts, and advanced features like number plate and facial recognition. Best of all, there are no subscription fees once your system is up and running.
Then we move on to audio systems. Our go-to is Sonos, using their powerful Amp amplifiers connected to discreet ceiling or wall speakers. Whether it’s background music or full-blown home cinema, Sonos delivers.
Following that, we integrate your lighting and shading systems with Lutron. Depending on your project, we might use the Lutron RA2/RA3 systems (great for retrofits and smaller jobs) or Lutron HomeWorks for full hardwired luxury. These systems let you control lighting scenes, automate blinds, and set the perfect atmosphere — all from beautifully engraved keypads or an app.
Step 5: The Finishing Touches
As we near completion, we install motorised blinds and curtains, often fitted into recessed pockets or box sections to create a clean, hidden look. These come in at the very end of the project to protect the fabrics from dust and damage while other trades finish up.
We’re usually one of the last trades on site, and for good reason — we finish by commissioning the systems, testing everything, and providing handover and client training. We’ll make sure you’re comfortable using your smart lighting, music, and security systems. Then, six to ten weeks after move-in, we return for a follow-up visit to fine-tune the details — lighting scenes, schedules, camera settings, and entertainment preferences.
Step 6: Beyond Handover – Living the Smart Home Life
Even after you’ve moved in, Customised stays involved. Whether it’s connecting your Sky or BT boxes, setting up streaming apps, or adding a gaming console, we’re there to ensure your tech works perfectly and effortlessly fits your lifestyle.
Ready to plan your own smart home project? Don’t miss Episode 5 of Gamble Ramble — where Kris takes you behind the scenes of a Customised installation and reveals exactly how we future-proof homes for modern living.
🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform or head to Customised.uk.com to get started.