The apartment you can control on your phone

The Kosmopolis could be the first residential apartment block in Auckland to be fully fitted with smart home technology. Photo / Supplied

Residents can use their mobile phones to unlock doors, heat rooms and even control their ovens at a new apartment development in Auckland.

The Kosmopolis, a $30 million, 25-apartment project in Grafton by the Chateau Management Group, claimed be the first residential apartment block in Auckland to be fully fitted with smart home technology.

Project director Rita Doughty said: "The system will allow people to use their mobile phone to unlock their door, dim their lights, control the underfloor heating and also media devices."

Smart elements will also allow for climate controls, video surveillance, communication interfaces and energy conservation.

The 25-apartment project will be built on top of the Red Elephant Thai restaurant on Khyber Pass Road.

The privately owned residential units will share a lobby, rooftop lounge and a 24-hour reception with 39 serviced apartment units within the development.

Ms Doughty said the group, which were behind the Kings Terrace and Unsworth Developments, decided to venture into apartments because that was "where the demand is".

"What we have also learned from Europe and Asia is that the lifestyle needs for modern apartment dwellers have changed," Ms Doughty said.

"Incorporating the latest technology and innovations have become necessary to meet the buyer's needs."

Latest figures show building consents for apartments in Auckland had increased tenfold in five years, and one in five apartment buyers were switching from a house.

Affordability, lifestyle, better quality builds, traffic congestion and relaxed lending rules were among the factors driving the boom, according to industry experts.

The sales launch for the development will be on June 11, and apartments will be priced from $599,000.

The average dwelling value in Auckland Central, which comprise mainly apartments, is about $450,000 compared with the regional average of $940,000.

Ms Doughty believed future developments here would also increasingly feature smart technology, which was also the plan for her firm's future projects.

James Law, principal agent of James Law Realty, which is marketing Kosmopolis, said more than 30 would-be buyers had registered their interest.

"It is exciting to be the marketing Auckland's first smart apartments, but I think it will be even more exciting for buyers," Mr Law said.

Mr Law anticipates a high demand for the development.

Construction for Kosmopolis is expected to start later this year, with completion within the first half of next year.