TV mounting, smart home and Wi-Fi in Lakewood, NJ

Lakewood has been building quickly, and much of the housing is newer: large single-family homes, duplexes and townhouse-style buildings, often with three or more floors including a finished basement. New construction is the easiest time to get technology right. Before drywall goes up, low-voltage cable can be run to every TV location, desk, ceiling access point and camera position, along with wire for keypads, shades and speakers. Doing it at framing costs far less than fishing wire through finished walls later.

Big households put real pressure on a home network. When many people are streaming, studying, gaming and making calls at once, a consumer router struggles. A UniFi network with a ceiling access point on each floor, including the basement, spreads the load and keeps speeds steady. Separate networks for adults, children and guests, with schedules that turn off kids' devices at night, can all be managed from one app without unplugging anything. Wiring desks and TVs directly also keeps the wireless network free for phones and tablets.

In duplexes and attached homes, each side should have its own internet service, network and equipment closet so neither family depends on the other. A video intercom at the front door can ring the right household, and cameras covering the driveway, front steps and back yard give each owner a view of their own property. Intercom stations between floors are also handy in a tall home, where calling someone down from the third floor otherwise means climbing stairs.

Everyday convenience matters most here. Lighting scenes that turn on and off at set times, motorized shades in bedrooms and living rooms, a TV in the dining area that hides when not in use and simple wall keypads that everyone in the house can understand go a long way. Scheduled scenes are especially useful when the same lights should come on at the same times every week without anyone touching a switch. If you are buying a new build in Lakewood, ask your builder early when the low-voltage walkthrough happens, and bring us in before insulation so your plan can be wired correctly the first time.