UK’s first fully smart home development goes on market

The show home has officially opened for what is thought to be the UK’s first housing development with Apple Home app, Siri and Apple HomeKit accessories fitted as standard.

Sommar Place, which comprises 39 highly energy-efficient homes in Milton Keynes, is the product of a partnership between regeneration organisation Places for People and Swedish sustainable housbuilder, Trivselhus.

The £18m scheme on the edge of Places for People’s Brooklands development is Trivselhus’s largest housing project to date in the UK.

All homes at Sommar Place are designed with mineral wool insulation and air-tightness built into their timber frame walls, with the aim of offering reductions of 40% on heating demands.

Every home will be fitted with Apple Home app, Siri and Apple HomeKit accessories fitted as standard, meaning residents can remotely control their lighting, heating, power and home security. More than 50 brands worldwide provide Apple HomeKit-compatible accessories that control switches, power points, thermostats, windows, fans, air conditioners, sensors, locks, cameras, doorbells and other devices.

The developers also promise high-speed broadband as soon as residents move into their new properties.

Ken Forster, managing director of Trivselhus, said: “Technology is essential in easing people’s lives, so it is important that, moving forward, family homes are designed with smart home technology at their fore.

“We’re proud that Sommar Place is leading the way in tech-enabled housing developments that are affordable, efficient and future-proof at a time when technology is developing at pace. In doing so, privacy and security of homeowners is paramount, which is why it was especially important for us to offer the highly secure, end-to-end encrypted Apple HomeKit accessories within Sommar Place, which we believe to be a first in the UK.”

David Cowans, group chief executive at Places for People, commented: “Sommar Place is a truly forward-thinking project, delivering the very best in Swedish energy-efficient design, combined with the latest in smart home technology – effectively future-proofing these homes for years to come.”

Current listed prices for the properties start at £435,000 for a four-bed mid terrace home, and £445,000 for a four-bed end terrace.