Australian homeowners warned expensive smart-home tech fails to boost property sale prices

Aussies are increasingly embracing smart-home technology, but expensive automation may offer little extra value when it comes time to sell. Picture: Canva/iStock Australian homeowners risk blowing thousands on flashy smart-home upgrades that buyers may not pay extra for, despite soaring enthusiasm for AI-powered living. New Telsyte research shows 70 per cent of Australians believe artificial intelligence could manage their smart homes better than they can, up from 58 per cent in 2024. Among households allocating money to smart-home technology, the average budget has climbed more than $1300 in two years to exceed $3500. RELATED: Vic landlords face three-strike ban threat Savvy vendor’s price strategy beats sluggish market ‘Disqualified’: Cam brings Block star to tears The growing appetite comes despite 58 per cent of Australians surveyed feeling more financially stretched than a year earlier. But Whitefox Port Phillip sales associate Cameron Greene said sellers in Melbourne’s Port Phillip area were highlighting significant investments in automated lighting, blinds and other connected features. “I’ve never really seen a buyer make a decision based on that,” Mr Greene said. The agent ...