Investment Guide
How much does a smart home cost in the UK?
There's no single answer — and any company that gives you one without asking about your property is guessing. What we can do is give you honest, real-world price ranges based on nearly 20 years of installations across Cheshire, North Wales, and beyond.
Updated 2026
·
By Sonor Smart Homes
·
Chester & North Wales
Quick answer: the three price bands
Most smart home projects fall into one of three categories. These are indicative ranges — actual quotes depend heavily on your specification, property size, and the brands you choose.
Starter
Single Room
£3,000 – £8,000
A focused upgrade to one room — a home cinema, a multiroom audio zone, or smart lighting in a single area.
- Home cinema or dedicated audio system
- Smart lighting — single zone
- Control single-room setup
- Full installation & programming
Most Popular
Whole Home
Multi-Room System
£10,000 – £40,000
A fully integrated system across your whole property — audio, video, lighting, automation, and network.
- Whole-home audio & video (Sonos / Linn)
- Smart lighting — full property (Lutron / Rako)
- Control whole-home automation
- Structured cabling & enterprise WiFi
- CCTV & access control integration
Premium
New Build / Estate
£40,000+
Bespoke end-to-end design for new builds and large renovations, including Dolby Atmos cinema and full estate cabling.
- Full design & specification from scratch
- Dolby Atmos cinema room
- Lutron / Rako whole-home lighting design
- Climate Control & climate integration
- Dedicated aftercare package
What's included at each level
The table below shows which elements are typically included or available at each price point. Bear in mind that a whole-home system at the lower end of the £10–40k range will have fewer zones and simpler specification than one at the upper end.
| Element |
Single Room (£3–8k) |
Whole Home (£10–40k) |
New Build (£40k+) |
| Home Cinema | Optional | ✓ | ✓ Dolby Atmos |
| Multiroom Audio | 1 zone | ✓ Whole home | ✓ Whole home |
| TV Everywhere | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart Lighting | 1 zone | ✓ Full property | ✓ Lutron / Rako |
| Control Automation | Basic | ✓ Full system | ✓ Full system |
| Climate Control / Climate | – | Optional | ✓ Integrated |
| CCTV & Security | – | Optional | ✓ Integrated |
| Enterprise WiFi | – | Optional | ✓ Full design |
| Structured Cabling | Minimal | ✓ | ✓ Full pre-wire |
| Ongoing Support | Ad-hoc | ✓ Included | ✓ Dedicated |
What drives the cost up (or down)?
Two projects with the same scope on paper can have very different quotes. Here's what actually moves the needle:
Brand Specification
Control and Lutron are premium platforms — rightly so. A Sonos multiroom system costs less than a Linn or Naim setup. We'll always recommend what fits your expectations, not the most expensive option.
Pre-Wire vs Retrofit
New builds and renovations with open walls allow us to run cabling neatly and cost-effectively. Retrofitting into a finished property means more labour, containment, and sometimes compromise.
Number of Zones
Each room or area that requires independent control — lighting scenes, audio zones, climate — adds hardware and programming time. A 3-zone system is not three times the cost of one zone, but it's more than one.
Complexity of Integration
A single Control system is straightforward. Integrating it with Lutron lighting, a Climate Control system, security cameras, intercom, and gate access adds configuration time and specialist hardware — but the result is genuinely transformative.
Property Size
Larger properties mean longer cable runs, more hardware, and more installation time. A 4-bedroom detached in Chester will cost more to automate fully than a 2-bedroom apartment — but the per-room cost often comes down at scale.
Aftercare
Our projects include commissioning, handover training, and ongoing remote support. If something needs attention, we're here — not a call centre. This is baked into our pricing, not an optional extra.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do a smart home on a budget?
Yes — a single-room project is a perfectly sensible starting point. A great home cinema or multiroom audio system in one room often leads to a wider whole-home project once you've experienced the difference. We don't upsell; we design for where you are now with capacity to grow.
Do I need to be having a renovation?
No. We retrofit systems into existing properties regularly. It's a bit more work — we use surface trunking, wireless devices where appropriate, and careful planning to minimise disruption — but the end result is equally impressive. New builds and renovations just allow us to do it more neatly.
What brands do you use?
We're a Control Authorised Dealer and CEDIA member. For audio we install Sonos, Linn, and Naim. Lighting is Lutron or Rako. We don't tie clients to one ecosystem — we specify what's right for your project.
How long does installation take?
A single-room project typically takes 2–5 days. A whole-home system in a new build can take several weeks across different phases — cabling first, then hardware installation during fit-out, then commissioning and programming once the property is finished.
Is there an ongoing cost?
Control systems have an optional annual subscription for cloud features (4Sight), but the core system works without it. Our aftercare support is included in the project cost, not an annual fee. We're always available for any questions after handover.
Do you cover North Wales?
Yes — we're based in Chester and work extensively across North Wales, Cheshire, and the wider North West. Travel beyond this area is possible for larger projects — just ask.