Smart Home for New Builds: Wired Options Worth Considering (2026)

If you’re building a new home, you have a window of opportunity that closes the moment your walls get plastered. Running smart home cables during construction costs a fraction of retrofitting later. I made this decision three years ago and chose Niko Home Control. Here’s everything I wish someone had told me about the three major wired systems before I committed.

Why Wired Makes Sense During Construction

The single biggest argument for wired smart home systems is timing. During construction, your walls are open. Electricians are already pulling cables. Adding extra wires to every switch point and room costs €500-1,500 in additional labor and materials.

Retrofitting the same wiring after walls are closed? €5,000-15,000. You’re paying to cut channels in finished walls, pull cables through existing structures, repair and repaint. Or you’re running visible trunking, which looks terrible.

This isn’t about wired being better than wireless in every way (see my wired vs wireless comparison for the full breakdown). It’s about wired being accessible during construction in a way it never will be again. Even if you’re not sure you want a wired smart home, running the cables now gives you the option. Cables sitting unused in a wall cost almost nothing. Not having cables when you want them later costs thousands.

The Three Major Systems Compared

Niko Home Control (Belgian, €4,000-8,000 installed)

This is what I run in my own home. I’ve tested it for three years and written a detailed review.

The pitch: Clean Belgian design, reasonable pricing for a wired system, straightforward programming, solid app. The most popular wired smart home system in Belgium and increasingly in the Netherlands.

What it does well:

• Beautiful switch designs (flush, minimal, multiple finishes)
• Programming software is simpler than KNX’s ETS
• App is decent for daily use (scenes, schedules, blind control)
• Motor controls for blinds are excellent
• Very reliable (zero failures in my 3-year experience)
• Active development: new features arrive yearly

What it doesn’t do well:

• Locked to Niko ecosystem (proprietary bus protocol)
• Limited third-party integration (basic Google/Alexa, poor Home Assistant)
• No KNX compatibility despite being a Belgian company
• Matter support still “coming soon”
• Programming changes require Windows software or electrician visit

Typical installation cost:

• Small home (15-20 circuits): €4,000-5,000
• Medium home (25-35 circuits): €5,000-7,000
• Large home (40+ circuits): €7,000-10,000

These include hardware, wiring, installation, and programming. VAT excluded.

Best for: Belgian and Dutch homeowners who want a reliable, well-designed system without the complexity of KNX. Families who value simplicity over maximum flexibility.

KNX (International Standard, €8,000-20,000 installed)

KNX is the international standard for wired building automation. It’s been around since 1990 and is supported by over 400 manufacturers worldwide. This is what you find in commercial buildings, luxury homes, and projects where budget isn’t the primary concern.

The pitch: Open standard with no vendor lock-in, maximum flexibility, supports everything from lighting to HVAC to security, future-proof for decades.

What it does well:

• No vendor lock-in: buy switches from Gira, Jung, Berker, ABB, Schneider, or dozens of others
• Most flexible: can automate literally anything (lighting, HVAC, blinds, irrigation, AV, security)
• International standard: find installers everywhere in Europe
• Proven longevity: 30+ year track record
• Powerful logic: complex automations, multi-condition triggers, building management features
• Great Home Assistant integration via KNX IP interface

What it doesn’t do well:

• Expensive (hardware alone is 2-3x Niko)
• Complex programming requires ETS software (€1,000 license) and KNX-certified professionals
• Overkill for simple residential lighting control
• Initial setup takes longer (more configuration options means more decisions)
• Finding qualified KNX programmers can be difficult in some regions

Typical installation cost:

• Small home (15-20 circuits): €8,000-12,000
• Medium home (25-35 circuits): €12,000-16,000
• Large home (40+ circuits, HVAC integration): €16,000-25,000+

Best for: People who want maximum flexibility and don’t mind paying for it. Homes where you want to integrate HVAC, multi-room audio, security, and lighting into one system. People who prioritize no vendor lock-in. Tech-savvy owners who want Home Assistant integration with wired reliability.

Loxone (Austrian, €5,000-12,000 installed)

Loxone is the middle ground between Niko’s simplicity and KNX’s power. An Austrian company that’s grown aggressively since 2009, they offer a compelling all-in-one system with what’s arguably the best app in the wired smart home space.

The pitch: One controller does everything (lighting, blinds, HVAC, audio, security), great app, active community, regular updates, more affordable than KNX with more features than Niko.

What it does well:

• Excellent app: genuinely well-designed, fast, intuitive
• All-in-one: the Miniserver handles lighting, HVAC, audio, door entry, alarms
• Regular updates: Loxone pushes meaningful feature updates quarterly
• Good value: more capable than Niko at similar or slightly higher price points
• Active community and documentation
• Integrated music server (multi-room audio without separate system)

What it doesn’t do well:

• Also proprietary (locked to Loxone ecosystem)
• Miniserver is single point of failure (if it dies, nothing smart works until replaced)
• Cloud dependency for remote access (Loxone Cloud DNS)
• Home Assistant integration is community-maintained (not official)
• Switch design is less elegant than Niko or premium KNX switches
• Smaller company: less certain long-term compared to KNX standard

Typical installation cost:

• Small home (15-20 circuits): €5,000-7,000
• Medium home (25-35 circuits): €7,000-10,000
• Large home (40+ circuits, full automation): €10,000-15,000

Best for: People who want a modern, app-first experience. Homes that want multi-room audio integrated. Tech-interested owners who want more than Niko offers but find KNX overkill. Good for custom homes where one system handles everything.

What to Wire During Construction (Do Not Skip This)

Regardless of which system you choose (or even if you choose wireless now), run these cables during construction. You’ll thank yourself in 5 years.

Cat6 Ethernet to Every Room

Cost: ~€200-400 in cable, included in electrician labor.

Run at least one Cat6 cable to every room, two to the living room and home office. Even in 2026, wired ethernet is faster and more reliable than WiFi. These cables serve:

• Network access points (WiFi mesh nodes)
• Smart TV connections
• IP cameras (PoE eliminates separate power cables)
• Future smart home controllers or hubs

5-Wire Cable to Every Switch Point

Cost: ~€300-600 in cable and labor (above standard 3-wire).

Standard electrical wiring uses 3 wires (live, neutral, earth). Smart switches (wired or wireless) often need a neutral wire that older homes don’t have. Running 5-wire (2 extra conductors) to every switch point gives you the bus wiring needed for Niko/KNX/Loxone now, or the neutral wire needed for smart switches later.

This is the single most important thing you can do during construction. Without these extra wires, your smart home options are permanently limited.

Conduit to Key Locations

Cost: ~€100-200 in empty conduit.

Run empty conduit (flexible plastic tube) from your electrical panel to:

• Front door area (for future video doorbell or access control wiring)
• Garage (for EV charger, smart garage controller)
• Garden/terrace (for future outdoor automation)
• Attic (for future server or networking equipment)

Empty conduit costs almost nothing during construction and lets you pull new cables through walls years later without opening them up.

Motor Control Wiring to Window Frames

Cost: ~€400-800 depending on number of windows.

If there’s any chance you’ll want motorized blinds or shutters in the future, run motor control wiring (typically 5-wire) to the top of every window frame. Motorized blinds are one of the most satisfying smart home upgrades, but retrofitting the wiring is expensive and ugly. See our smart blinds guide for motor options.

Cost Comparison: Build Time vs Retrofit

This table illustrates why wiring during construction is so critical:

Component	Cost During Build	Cost to Retrofit	Savings
5-wire to 20 switch points	€400-600	€3,000-5,000	5-8x cheaper
Cat6 to 8 rooms	€250-400	€2,000-3,500	6-9x cheaper
Blind motor wiring (6 windows)	€300-500	€2,500-4,000	6-8x cheaper
Conduit to panel (4 runs)	€100-200	€800-1,500	6-8x cheaper
Total prewire	€1,050-1,700	€8,300-14,000	7-8x cheaper

The prewire investment of €1,050-1,700 is trivial in the context of a new build budget. It’s less than a set of kitchen appliances. But it preserves smart home options worth €8,000-14,000 in future-proofing.

System Comparison Table

System	Price Range (Installed)	Country	Flexibility	App Quality	DIY Possible	Best For
Niko Home Control	€4,000-8,000	Belgium	Medium (lighting, blinds)	Good (7/10)	No	Belgian/Dutch homes, simplicity
KNX	€8,000-20,000	International	Highest (anything)	Varies by manufacturer	No (ETS required)	Luxury homes, max flexibility
Loxone	€5,000-12,000	Austria	High (all-in-one)	Excellent (9/10)	Partially (basic config)	Modern homes, app-first users
Niko + wireless extras	€4,500-9,000	Belgium + mixed	Medium-High	Good + varies	Partially	Niko core + wireless cameras/sensors
KNX + Home Assistant	€9,000-22,000	International	Highest	HA dashboard (custom)	HA part yes	Maximum control and customization

My Recommendation by Budget

€3,000-5,000 budget: Niko Home Control basic installation. Focus on lighting and maybe 2-3 blind motors. Skip fancy dimmers for rooms where on/off is fine. This gets you wired reliability for core daily-use circuits.

€5,000-10,000 budget: Niko Home Control full installation with all dimmers and blind motors, or Loxone Miniserver with broader automation. At this budget, Loxone offers more features per euro than Niko. If multi-room audio matters to you, Loxone wins.

€10,000-20,000 budget: KNX with premium switches (Gira, Jung) and full HVAC integration. At this level you’re getting a proper building management system that handles heating zones, ventilation, security, and AV alongside lighting and blinds. This is “never think about it again” territory.

Unlimited budget: KNX with a professional system integrator who designs everything. Touches of Crestron for AV, Lutron for precision lighting control, and a dedicated server room. But honestly, if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably not in this category.

What I’d Do Differently in My Build

Three years of living with Niko, here’s what I’d change if I built again:

1. Run Cat6 to more locations. I have ethernet in 6 rooms. I wish I had it in all 9 rooms plus the garage and garden shed. Cable is cheap. Regret is expensive.

2. Wire for blind motors everywhere. I wired 3 windows for motorized blinds. I now want them on all 8 windows. Running wires to the other 5 would cost me €1,500+ in retrofit. During build, it would have been €200.

3. Consider KNX over Niko. Niko’s limited integration frustrates me more now than it did three years ago. If I’d chosen KNX, I’d have better Home Assistant support and no vendor lock-in. The extra €3,000-5,000 would have been worth it for the flexibility.

4. Install more conduit. Empty tubes cost nothing but provide everything. I want to add an outdoor camera that requires PoE. Without conduit, it’s either wireless (less reliable) or surface-mounted cable (ugly).

Timeline: When to Make Smart Home Decisions in Your Build

• Architecture phase: Decide wired vs wireless. If wired, choose your system now.
• Electrical planning (before permits): Specify all switch locations, blind motors, ethernet runs, and conduit routes.
• Rough-in phase (walls open): All cables get pulled. This is your last chance.
• First fix electrical: Junction boxes, controller mounting, cable termination.
• After plaster: Switch and device installation.
• Commissioning: System programming, testing, scene configuration.
• Move-in: Fine-tuning schedules and automations based on actual living patterns.

The critical deadline is rough-in. Once walls are plastered, the cost of adding wires jumps by 5-10x. Talk to your electrician about smart home plans before a single cable is pulled.

For those still deciding between ecosystems (wired, wireless, or hybrid), our ecosystem comparison guide covers the full landscape. If you end up choosing wireless for budget reasons, our guide to smart light switches covers the best options that work without neutral wires.

FAQ

Should I choose Niko, KNX, or Loxone for my new build?

It depends on your priorities and budget. Niko for simplicity and Belgian design (€4,000-8,000). Loxone for the best app and all-in-one approach (€5,000-12,000). KNX for maximum flexibility and no vendor lock-in (€8,000-20,000). If budget allows, I’d choose KNX today for the long-term flexibility, even though I’m happy with my Niko. The no-vendor-lock-in advantage of KNX becomes more valuable with every passing year.

Can I just prewire now and install the smart system later?

Absolutely, and this is smart thinking. Run 5-wire to every switch point and Cat6 to every room. Use standard switches for now. When you’re ready (and budget allows), swap to smart switches and add the controller. The wiring investment is small (€1,000-1,700) and preserves all options. Many people live with standard switches for 2-5 years before adding the smart layer.

How do I find a good installer for wired smart home?

For Niko: check the Niko partner installer list on their website (filtered by region). For KNX: look for KNX-certified professionals through the KNX Association directory. For Loxone: find a Loxone Gold or Silver partner. In all cases, ask for references and visit a completed project if possible. A bad programmer can make any system frustrating, regardless of hardware quality.

Is wired smart home worth it for a small apartment?

Generally no. Wired systems make financial sense in homes with 15+ circuits and where you’ll stay 10+ years. A small apartment (5-8 circuits) gets minimal benefit from wired because the scale doesn’t justify the controller cost (€800+). Wireless Zigbee or Thread switches give you 90% of the functionality at 20% of the cost for small spaces. Save wired for houses.

What if I choose the wrong system?

If you prewired with 5-wire cables, you can switch between systems later (though it requires new hardware and reprogramming). KNX and Loxone use standard bus wiring that’s interchangeable. Niko uses a compatible bus setup too. The worst case is replacing the controller and switches, keeping the existing wiring. That’s still €3,000-8,000, but it’s better than the €15,000+ of rewiring from scratch. Choosing cables wisely during construction is the real insurance policy.