The key difference from a new house
In a flat, home automation comes down to one question: will the walls be opened? If the renovation is comprehensive, cabling and back boxes go in just as in a new build; if it is partial, a wireless system usually makes more sense than chasing into recent finishes.
A new house starts from a blank sheet. A flat means working with what is there: load-bearing walls that cannot be chased freely, soil stacks, a shared facade and common services owned by the comunidad de propietarios. Smart homes in new builds have their own article; this one is about flats.
With the walls open: what to put in now
In a full renovation the wiring is being replaced anyway, and adding a few cables costs little compared with opening up again later. A sensible minimum: a neutral in every switch box so a smart switch can be fitted; deep back boxes to take modules; cable to blind or curtain motors; data cable to the TV, the desk and the Wi-Fi access points; and power where sensors and a hub will go later.
Everything runs back to one technical cupboard with the router and low-voltage panel. Its position is settled before the partitions go up, with ventilation and access, not in a storeroom nobody can reach.
With a partial renovation: wireless systems
Wireless switches, relays behind existing switches, battery motors, thermostats and sensors all go in without chasing walls. It is a sensible route in a flat with recent finishes, or when the family is living at home during the works.
Know the limits up front. In older buildings with thick brick walls the signal struggles and you will need extra network nodes. Battery devices need new batteries. Some systems rely on the manufacturer’s cloud and on the internet. Choose equipment that runs locally and supports open standards, so you are not tied to a single brand.
Where to start: problems, not gadgets
First write down what annoys you today. Too much light in the bedroom in the morning. Heating running when nobody is home. Long trips with no idea what is happening in the flat. Each of these has a specific answer: a scene for the blinds, a thermostat with a schedule per room, leak sensors with a solenoid valve on the incoming water supply.
Leak sensors under the sink, dishwasher and washing machine are the most useful and cheapest part of home automation in a flat. A leak in an apartment building reaches the neighbour below, and a valve that shuts the water off by itself pays for itself the first time it triggers.
Lighting and climate: where automation pays off
Lighting gives the most visible result: evening, film or night scenes instead of six switches. But scenes only work if the lighting was designed in layers: general, task and accent. If a room has one ceiling light, there is nothing to automate.
Climate is where the savings are. Air conditioning or aerothermal heat pumps with room-by-room control mean empty bedrooms are not being cooled. Before buying, check that the equipment accepts external control, and place temperature sensors where the sun does not hit them.
What the building and the comunidad limit
The facade, the shared entry-phone, in some buildings the external shutters, and the roof belong to the comunidad de propietarios. You cannot fix a camera to the facade or change the entrance panel without agreement. Inside the flat you can swap your handset for a compatible video monitor, but compatibility is confirmed with the company that maintains the system.
In listed buildings or those with a uniform facade, motorised awnings or external blinds may need approval. The conditions are checked with the building administrator and the ajuntament.
Example: a flat in the Eixample
Take a flat of around 110 m² in the Eixample with four bedrooms and a full renovation. A sensible plan: cable to the blind motors in the bedrooms, a neutral in every box, wired data to the living room and study, two ceiling Wi-Fi access points, leak sensors in the kitchen and both bathrooms with a valve on the incoming supply, and zoned thermostats. Everything else can be added later, wirelessly and without dust.
The cost of this preparation goes into the renovation quote. Our own crew installs it, trusted specialists configure the systems, and one person is responsible for the whole project.