ᐅ Key Points for a Spontaneous House Viewing by a Non-Expert

Thanks for the input. We don’t want tiles, except possibly in the kitchen and bathroom. That’s why everything will be removed (except in the bathroom). We have a tiler and a painter in the family, so we could do some of the work ourselves. A carpenter who is a very good friend is also available and will definitely check the roof beforehand, regardless of whether an inspector might have already done so.

The point about the electrical installation seems important. I wasn’t able to see the wires since they are just clearing out the apartment and everything was still inside. So there must be 3 wires. That reminds me of an important question:

Is it even possible to retrofit smart home features (electric shutters/blinds, temperature control, lighting, etc.) in such old buildings? Also without radio/wireless?

We would also like recessed lights (spots). Is it possible to retrofit those?

Sorry for the new questions. I think they are important for our future house viewings as well, and it helps to have people with experience here.

Grashalm schrieb:

Is it even possible to retrofit smart home features (electric roller shutters, temperature control, lighting, etc.) in older buildings? Even without wireless systems?

Of course. You just need to replace all the wiring if you want to work with wired systems. However, that can be quite costly—especially if the existing wiring is otherwise fine and doesn't need a complete replacement.
Electric roller shutters can always be retrofitted. That on its own isn’t necessarily related to smart home systems.

Grashalm schrieb:

We would also like to have recessed spotlights. Is it possible to retrofit those?

Recessed spotlights can be tricky. It’s possible if you lower the ceiling, but that will reduce the room height.

As part of our renovation, we installed electric roller shutters, which shouldn’t really be an issue. Installing recessed spotlights should also be possible. In our living room, we also had a paneled ceiling. We removed it and had the ceiling lowered, then installed the spotlights there. I don’t see any major problem with this, but I’m not a professional.

nordanney schrieb:

Recessed lights are not great. But they work if you lower the ceiling. Of course, that costs you headroom.

I personally like the recessed lights in our living room, but of course, it's a matter of taste. You don’t necessarily lose headroom if you take down the paneling, right?

nordanney schrieb:

Of course. You "just" have to replace all the wiring if you want to work with wired systems. However, that can be a significant expense.

Costs are always the deciding factor in the end. I would like to do it, but it has to fit financially and provide added value.

nordanney schrieb:

Electric roller shutters can always be retrofitted. Initially, that has nothing to do with smart home systems.

Yes, I would of course like to control them automatically and centrally. But you want so much these days. However, electronic control is a must, as it bothers us a lot in our current apartment.

Grashalm schrieb:

Yes, I would of course like to control them automatically and centrally. But you want everything these days. However, it has to be electronic, as that is something we really miss in our current apartment.

For electrical control, it’s usually enough just to run a cable. It’s simple, fast, and inexpensive.

If the existing wiring can be kept, I would use Shellys (there are other options too) and only run additional cables for the roller shutters.