# Smart home in a renovation or new build: what to sort out before the walls close

> You can always add a smart home later, but during the build it is cheaper and neater. Which cabling, boxes and meter cupboard space to plan now, and what can safely wait.

- **Published:** 2026-11-13
- **Language:** English (en)
- **Canonical URL:** https://divsoftware.nl/en/blog/smart-home-during-renovation-or-new-build/
- **Keywords:** smart home new build, smart home renovation, home automation during renovation, Home Assistant installation, builder smart home netherlands
- **Author:** Division Software — software studio in Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- **Translation:** https://divsoftware.nl/blog/smart-home-bij-verbouwing-of-nieuwbouw/

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You can always add a smart home afterwards. Wireless switches, battery sensors
and modules behind existing switches make that possible. But if you are
renovating or building anyway, there is one moment when it is far cheaper and
neater: before the walls are closed.

After that, every cable costs a chase, plaster and paint. Before that, it costs
a few metres and half an hour.

## What to put in while you can

**A neutral wire in every switch box.** Many smart switches and switch modules
need one. Older houses often lack it behind the switch, and that limits your
choice later. During the build it is a trifle.

**Deep wall boxes.** A module behind the switch needs room. With deep boxes it
fits, without the switch sticking out of the wall.

**Network cable to the places that matter.** To the ceiling on each floor for
an access point, to the TV spot, to the desk and to outdoor cameras. Wi-Fi over
a cable always beats Wi-Fi over Wi-Fi.

**Power at the windows for blinds or screens**, even if you are not fitting them
yet. An empty box with a cable in it costs almost nothing.

**Room in the meter cupboard.** For the hub, a network switch and a P1 reader
for the smart meter. Plan a socket and a network point in the meter cupboard;
that is the heart of the system.

**A plan for the heating.** Thermostat, underfloor heating manifold and heat
pump need to be able to talk. Ask the installer which connection (OpenTherm, for
example) is possible before you choose.

## What can safely wait

The devices themselves. Lights, sensors, smart plugs and the automations can be
added step by step, even years later. As long as the foundation is right, you
never have to break anything to extend it. A good order is in [starting a smart
home: what to buy first](/en/blog/starting-a-smart-home-what-to-buy-first/).

## Builder and smart home at one table

The mistake we see most is that the contractor and the smart home installer
first meet when the plaster is dry. That is why we work with [Bouwbedrijf
Kurt](/en/projects/bouwbedrijf-kurt/) in Best: in a renovation or new build we
plan the smart home into the building plan, so cabling and boxes are right from
day one.

What a full installation looks like is in [our own
house](/en/projects/smart-home-eigen-huis/). Building or renovating in the
Eindhoven region? See [smart home installation](/en/smart-home-installation/)
or [ask for a quote](/en/quote/).

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*This is the Markdown (AI-readable) version of an article by [Division Software](https://divsoftware.nl/) — we build websites, web shops, apps and custom software for businesses in the Netherlands. Read the full article at https://divsoftware.nl/en/blog/smart-home-during-renovation-or-new-build/, or request a free, no-obligation quote at https://divsoftware.nl/en/quote/.*