When building a new home in the modern age, there are many technologically advanced features that home builders can include to add value in the eyes of a prospective buyer. This includes things like induction stoves, central air and heating (HVAC), or specialty outlets in a garage to charge electrical vehicles, which is increasingly common. However, one feature that doesn’t get brought up nearly as often as it should is a central vacuum system.
A central vacuum system is a great way to add tons of value to a home, and homeowners will greatly appreciate having one in their home, even if they don’t know it yet. But what is a central vacuum system, and why is it a great thing for homeowners to have—and for builders to include in their next project?
What Is a Central Vacuum System?
A central vacuum can be thought of as similar to a central air system but in reverse. Rather than blowing cool (or warm) air into different rooms around the house, it sucks air out. In other words, it’s a built-in vacuum cleaner for your entire home. Sometimes called a whole-house vacuum, a central vacuum system will have a main vacuum motor system, alongside a canister or bag for collecting dirt, located in a secluded location somewhere in the house. This is typically a basement, furnace room, garage, or other location like a utility closet or even an attic, but it can go just about anywhere.
Tubing connects this central vacuum motor to some, or all, of the rooms in your home. Sometimes, there will be a retractable vacuum tube hidden somewhere in the wall. Other times, the terminus will be a wall socket that you need to plug a detachable tube into. Either way, when you want to clean, you just attach the vacuum head of your choice to the central vacuum system, turn it on, and vacuum away as normal.
Many homeowners think, “But I already have a perfectly good vacuum cleaner, why do I need something like this? It sounds expensive!” And consequently, construction companies don’t always include a whole-house vacuum in their new homes. But there are many benefits to a central vacuum system, and here are five reasons you should include one in the next home you build.
5 Reasons to Include Central Vacuuming In Your Next Home
The benefits of a central vacuum system are numerous and far too many to list in one short blog. While the benefits we’ll discuss here are more from the perspective of a home buyer, rather than a home builder or seller, the two go hand in hand: the more value a home buyer perceives a house to have, the higher the price they’re willing to pay for it, of course.
Here are some of the many benefits of central vacuuming
1. A Whisper-Quiet Clean
Vacuum cleaners aren’t exactly the quietest things in the world. In fact, a typical vacuum is downright noisy, scaring cats, dogs, and children alike and annoying neighbors if you live in an apartment complex. But think about it: what’s the part of the vacuum cleaner that makes noise? It’s the vacuum motor. With a central vacuum system, the motor is tucked tidily in your garage or basement. While it will be noisy to anyone in the immediate vicinity, anywhere else you’re cleaning in the home will be perfectly quiet. This means you can clean and vacuum without disturbing children, pets, or your spouse as they’re taking a nap.
2. Deeper Clean, Cleaner Air
The strength of a vacuum motor is limited by its size. The type of motor that can be carried on a reasonably portable unit is going to be a fairly small one, all things considered. However, a central vacuum unit is not constrained by needing to be portable; the motor can be considerably larger. This means that whole-house vacuum systems can be five times as powerful as your standard portable unit, if not even more so.
This increased suction power means you get a deeper clean, and this deeper clean means that there’s less dust, ash, or other micro-particles that can dirty up a house’s inside air. Everyone benefits from the deeper clean a central vacuum system provides.
This is especially useful for people who suffer from allergies, as they will be able to clean dust and dander out of even thick carpets and so won’t need to remove them.
3. Flexible Cleaning Options
Because the main part of the central vacuum system is elsewhere, this opens up options for the “business end” of the vacuum: that is, the nozzle and hose. If you’re like most people, your portable vacuum cleaner probably has a ton of nozzles and options, and you don’t know what they do and have never used. Most of us just give up and use the same nozzle for cleaning carpet as we do hardwood, and that’s just inefficient.
Since each room has its own dedicated vacuum, you can have specialty hoses and nozzles for each room, letting you clean in the most effective way possible every time.
4. Increased Ease of Use
Think about the last time you vacuumed an even moderately large area. You might have had to unplug the vacuum, plug it in on the other side of the room, carry the heavy unit up the stairs, and more. It can be a pain. With a central vacuum system, you never have to carry or move anything since every room has all the equipment it needs right inside. Also, there’s no risk of emptying the vacuum bag only to spill dust everywhere in your living room.
5. Better House Value for Decades to Come
Most portable vacuum cleaners need replacing every 5 to 10 years or sooner. However, with proper maintenance, a central vacuum system can last multiple decades or longer. This means it’s a great long-term investment for any homeowner. It may be a more expensive up-front purchase than a portable vacuum, but over time, it will pay for itself. And this provides a very attractive feature when selling a house, meaning your investment makes your house that much more valuable.
This is true whether you’re reselling a home you own and have lived in or are a home builder company looking to sell a newly built house. If you’re a home builder company in the Portland, Vancouver, Bend, and Tacoma areas, contact Gary’s Vacuflo today to learn why you should include central vacuuming in your next home.
Tags: central vacuum, home builders, New Build, whole house vacuum
