Where motorisation stops being an upsell

A tubular motor sits inside the blind roll and takes control by remote, wall switch, phone app, schedule or sensor. On a normal window it’s a comfort upgrade. On Baronetcy’s stairwell voids, double-volume walls and concealed ceiling-recess systems, it’s the only practical option — a chain or wand was never designed to reach three or four metres up a glass stairwell.

Two ways to power it

Rechargeable battery motors need no wiring and suit retrofits — charge every few months via a USB-style charger. Wired 220V motors suit new builds and major renovations: permanent, no charging, and the better choice for big or heavy systems and every exterior product. Either way, control layers stack: a handset for one blind, an app for the whole house, schedules that drop west blinds at 3pm in summer, and sun or wind sensors that react automatically — the wind sensor being safety-critical on any exterior product.

  • Battery motors for retrofit; wired 220V for new builds and exterior products
  • App control, schedules and sun/wind sensors, stacked or used alone
  • Essentially required for concealed recess systems and external venetians
  • No dangling chains — the most child-safe operation there is

Honest limitation

Battery motors need a periodic charge — usually every few months, depending on how often the blind runs — and quality motors are quiet, not silent. We set that expectation at the measure, not after installation.

Why it matters more here

Baronetcy already runs 24-hour manned security and controlled estate access, so the safety conversation indoors is a simpler one: no dangling cords or chains within a child’s reach, and every hard-to-reach opening controlled from a single app or wall switch instead of an unused wand gathering dust three metres up a stairwell.

What motorisation costs, product by product

Motorised shading is priced by what the motor drives, so the honest answer is a spread: R2,500 to R7,500 per square metre installed across the whole range, as a guide. A motorised blockout or sunscreen roller sits at R2,500 to R3,800. A motorised concealed or recessed system runs R3,200 to R5,000. A motorised external venetian, out on the weather side, runs R4,500 to R6,500.

Those figures already carry the motor, the remote or wall control and the commissioning on the day. They do not carry the electrical work: a wired 220V motor needs a point at the head of the opening, and that is priced by the electrician. Battery motors avoid the cabling and trade it for a charging routine. Very small blinds attract a minimum. Nothing is committed until the free measure has happened and the itemised quote is in your hands.