When Building Smart Means Living Smart

Patsy and Rick Montgomery are living well by living smart. Rick Montgomery is a reluctant General Contractor. He never intended to be one. But, because he was so dissatisfied with the way some of the work was being done on his first home, he decided it was a role worth assuming. And, seven houses later, he’s glad he did—especially since House #7 is the culmination of what he has learned about building homes. House #7 is the Montgomery’s “Living Smart Home”—which includes features that Rick and his wife, Patsy, have enjoyed about all of the other homes they’ve lived in. “It took nine months to get the plans right—but 35 years to build the house,” joked Rick. When building homes for themselves, the Montgomerys always have “resale” in mind. “It’s important to include features that other people love,” said Rick. In their “Living Smart Home,” Rick and Patsy integrated a number of electrical upgrades that they will enjoy and that future owners will benefit from. Enhancements, which the Montgomery’s feel are essentials, include: A Generac 15kw generator with an automatic transfer switch to ensure they never lose power. Leviton Decora switches to complement their décor. A home theater room to enhance their entertainment--complete with a Lutron Grafik Eye single room lighting system. Lutron RadioRa lighting control system with a Chronos astronomical time clock to enable them to always have the right lighting and ambiance. 89 recessed cans to ensure a well-lit home. Heated flooring to warm their feet on chilly mornings. Nutone intercom systems to enhance communications within the house. A central vac system to make vacuuming more convenient. A whole house audio system so that they can enjoy their music throughout the house. “We love these features,” said Patsy. “The Lutron RadioRa system, took a little bit of time to get used to it, but we loved it once we specified which lighting scenes best suited our lifestyle.” Rick read the programming guide and was able to easily reprogram any of the scenes. And, they’re also looking forward to being able to use the vacation mode on the Chronos system when they go out of town. Because the Chronos system memorizes the owner’s living patterns for up to a two-week time period, it can replay lighting patterns while the owner is away—providing a completely lived-in look to the home and peace of mind to the owners. Other benefits the Montgomery’s are enjoying include: The Grafik Eye system in their home theater that doesn’t require reprogramming after a power outage. The heated tile flooring of the master closet and bathrooms that helps make winter mornings much more comfortable. The intercom systems that provide an added sense of security because they allow Rick and Patsy to speak to someone at the door without having to open it. The system also makes talking to family members throughout the house convenient and eliminates the need for “yelling across the home.” The generator that is perfect for Carolina hurricanes and ice storms. It automatically runs a quiet self-test ever Friday and is virtually maintenance- and worry-free. Rick and Patty said they selected their upgrades by taking “into account all of the other homes we have built and incorporating those items that have made our lives easier and more comfortable.” Eddie Ritchie of JR Ritchie was the electrical contractor on the Montgomery’s “Living Smart Home” project. “We met with Eddie to do an initial walk through and were pleased with the ideas he offered regarding upgrades,” said Patsy. Rick and Patsy also worked closely with Mark Tomei, an EDI Account Manager based in Concord. “He was very helpful in assisting us with our final decisions to purchase products such as the Lutron lighting control systems and the Generac generator,” said Rick. “After meeting Mark, we ended up putting a lot more money into the house,” laughed the Montgomery’s “And we’re sure the contractor was pleased also.”