When it comes to home technology options, central vacuum systems might be stuck behind the 8-ball. They lack the sexiness exuded by home theater, the elegance created by lighting control and perhaps even the futuristic touchscreen appeal offered by whole-house automation systems. A 30-foot vacuum hose could certainly scare off some homeowners. It's up to builders and integrators to market central vac as a healthy alternative to conventional vacuums.
John Prince, president of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Atlantic Home Technologies, earns business from a dozen custom builders and has them turned onto central vac as a standard. David Botknecht, CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based HW Automation, says his company couldn't consider itself as a "total solution" integrator if it did not offer central vac and appreciates the system's seamless installation for builders. For builder John Kenny, pre-piping custom homes for central vacuum systems is an automatic practice. Here's some other advice the three had on upselling central vac:
Educate the homebuyer on the products Of the "central" perks in a house, central air conditioning may spring to mind before central vacuum. Through his own sales research, Prince discovered that those who have never used central vac are much less apt to purchase a system than those who have had it in homes before -- and for the most part, love it. "When we meet with buyers there's a big discrepancy in take rate between buyers who have had central vac and those who haven't," he says. "For homeowners who have never had it, we only sell it to about one in 10, one in 15. But if they have had it in a previous home, the take rate is over 70 percent. A lot of people don't know much about central vacuums, but when they try it, homeowners don't want a home built without it."
Botknecht adds: "We've found that most of our homeowners seem to know what a central vac system is, but I don't know that they're necessarily coming in and asking for it. When we remind them of it, it usually triggers an, 'Oh, right!' type of response."
Make sure to show it off Design centers are becoming popular among builders and integrators as palpable displays of how technology options will work for the homebuyer. Botknecht says his demonstration doesn't quite hark back to the days of door-to-door salesmen showing how their vacuums suck up everything, but central vac systems do have eye-catching features.
Prince points to Beam's toe-kick starter and kitchen vac pan as excellent showroom material. "You can use a broom to sweep up the Cheerios, and the unit sucks it right in. We've had people come to us and say they don't have much carpet in the house, but we say, 'You probably sweep up hardwood or stone?' Then we'll stick a foot under the cabinet, turn it on and they'll say, 'Whoa! How'd you do that? This is really cool!"
Sell the affordability, reap the profitability Homeowners might hear "central vacuum system" and their ears start ringing with sounds of cash registers. Builders and integrators can show the affordability of a system while also adding to their own bottom line. The average cost for a Beam system, for example, starts at about $1,000. Also, companies like Beam and NuTone offer lifetime warranties. When the homebuyer is already spending several hundred thousand, why not a couple more for a stable cleaning system?
"Initially, it's pennies to the homebuyer. Compared to the granite countertops and other things they're doing to the house, it's probably at the bottom of their budget list," says Botknecht. On the flip side, Botknecht says central vac is one of his company's more profitable items, with margins in the plus-25 percent range. Prince says his company makes 40 to 50 points on systems, which drive down net costs for the builder.
Construction cycle is manageable Between pre-piping and actual installation, adding a central vacuum system may be little more than a blip in the construction process of a new home. "A half day -- it doesn't add anything," says Kenny.
His Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.-based John Kenny Construction company builds 10 to 15 custom luxury homes per year, and he always incorporates a window for central vac pre-piping into his subcontractors' schedules. "The only time when it becomes a problem is when you haven't planned for it. Because I have, if a customer chooses not to upgrade to it, it's no problem; but if they do decide they want it and pay for it, I've already included it."
Learn what your demographic wants Kenny says there's no point in pre-plumbing a housing development for central vacuum systems if it doesn't fit the homebuyer profile. Having built million-dollar homes over the years, he's learned that a majority of his homeowners enjoy the benefits of central vac. "It's probably the price point that I'm selling at," he says. "It's a good add-on for them, but you have to understand the demographics of your buyer. A buyer who's paying $200,000 for a house isn't interested in [central vacuum], and if you pre-plumb for it, you're wasting your money."
Even if Kenny's clients do not want a system today, they might talk to neighbors who rave about it and decide later on to buy a system. "In either case, they're prepared," he says.
Remind the homeowners of resale value Although new-home buyers might cherish the notion that they are purchasing the house they will live in for the life of that 30-year mortgage, chances are they'll move on to one, perhaps even two, more homes during that span. Enhancements can only help a home's resale value. Botknecht notes the bonus of central vac systems' easy maintenance and accessible manufacturer service.
Prince adds: "When you market a home that's already pre-piped, the perceived value from the homebuyer is more than the cost to put it in [in the first place]. In the perception value, for selling a home, central vac is viewed as a really nice feature."