Why Home Technology Quotes Aren’t Comparable (And What You Should Really Look For)

On the surface, two quotes may appear similar. Both may reference lighting control, audio systems, or home cinema. But in reality, they can represent completely different approaches:

• Some companies focus primarily on supplying and installing equipment

• Some companies won't even install it (so check the small print!)

• Others provide simplified systems, leaving the homeowner to configure and manage them

• Occasionally, systems can be technically impressive but overly complex or intrusive within a home

The result? Homes that look beautiful on completion… but don’t quite feel right to live in.

Our approach is fundamentally different.

What you experience in our studio is not a demonstration — it’s the standard we design for every project.

Our proposals include:

• Bespoke lighting design (not just fittings)

• System architecture and integration strategy

• Collaboration with your architect, interior designer, and build team

• Detailed drawings, wiring plans, and elevations

• Full installation coordination

• Expert commissioning and programming, ensuring the home feels intuitive and effortless

Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to install technology.
It’s to create a home that works beautifully, quietly, and instinctively around you.

We’re often asked for a detailed list of equipment early on.

There are a few important reasons why we don’t provide this at quotation stage:

1. Equipment Lists Don’t Reflect the Real Value

A list of products doesn’t show:

• How the system will function

• How it integrates with your interiors

• How it will feel to live with day-to-day

In reality, the value lies in the design, integration, and programming — not the components themselves.

2. They Are Often Used to Undercut Us — Not Improve Your Experience as a Client

We've been in this industry for a long time, starting from when home automation was a niche area of expertise and electricians/security companies/builders couldn't just open an account and install this stuff.

It’s VERY common for competitors to take our quotes and simply just undercut us (without doing any calculations themselves) in order to win the work. Equipment lists don't reflect the experience you will receive, they are essentially a list of ingredients - and just like a recipe, it will depend on the Chef's experience and knowledge on how they put those ingredients together, as to how the dish ends up. Equipment lists simply help companies who should not be working in this sector, to win work on price alone, and fool the client in to thinking they will get the same result. So we don't participate in this.

Without the same level of design, coordination, and commissioning, the outcome is not comparable.

Two systems with similar components can deliver completely different experiences.

3. The Specification Is Part of the Design Process

The final equipment schedule is developed during the detailed design phase, once we fully understand:

• Your home

• Your lifestyle

• Your interiors

• Your wider project team

This is no different to engaging an architect or interior designer — the design evolves before it is finalised.

The SONA design process involves many hours of detailed work, including:

• Collaboration with your architect, interior designer, and builder

• Creation of detailed drawings and system designs

• Development of a programming strategy tailored to how you live

At this early stage, a fixed equipment list would not give you a true sense of the final result.

Instead, we provide a highly accurate working budget, informed by hundreds of completed projects, which can be adjusted, refined, or re-scoped as needed — ensuring you remain fully in control throughout.

Anyone can create a list of equipment. Just like anyone to go to the shop and buy a load of ingredients. It does not make them a Michelin star Chef.

Our real work — and the real difference — lies in:

• Designing how everything works together

• Ensuring the system in bespoke to your home, and elevates your daily life

• Integrating it seamlessly into your interiors

• Ensuring it performs beautifully and reliably, every day

That’s what turns technology into something that feels effortless, intuitive, and genuinely valuable.

If you are comparing proposals, these questions will quickly highlight the difference between companies:

1. What support do you provide once the system is installed?

Technology should be supported long-term.

• Is there an ongoing support plan?

• How quickly do you respond?

• Do you offer remote support?

2. Who will program the lighting scenes at the end?

This is critical.

• Will a specialist commission the system?

• Will scenes reflect the lighting design and mood?

A great lighting design is only as good as its final programming.

3. What warranty and guarantees are provided?

• What manufacturer warranties are included?

• Who manages failures or replacements?

4. How will the system be coordinated with the build?

• Do they work with your architect and interior designer?

• Do they provide drawings and wiring plans?

5. Who handles final commissioning?

This is where systems are:

• Tested

• Programmed

• Refined

Without it, even good systems can feel clumsy.

6. What technical expertise or accreditations do you have?

• What training or certifications are held?

• How many similar projects have been completed?

7. Will all systems be fully integrated?

• Lighting

• Blinds

• Audio

• Cinema

• Security

Do they work together — or separately?

8. What happens in five years?

• Will the company still support you?

• Do they maintain systems long-term?

9. Are there any commercial arrangements with other trades?

Transparency matters. Especially where a recommendation or introduction has been made.

10. Can I experience one of your systems in person?

This is the most powerful question of all.

Technology is incredibly difficult to judge on paper —
but experiencing it in a real environment tells you everything.

If you’d like to understand the difference properly, the best next step is simple:

Come and experience it.

Because once you do, it becomes very clear that this isn’t about equipment —
it’s about creating a home that feels effortless to live in, every single day.