Having a smart home just sounds amazing. We have all seen movies and TV shows that have people living in these so-called “smart homes”.
When they wake up in the morning, the lights turn on automatically, and as they enter their kitchen a cup of coffee is being brewed for them. Their favorite songs are being played in the background, and the smart TV will automatically turn on to their favorite thing to watch in the morning.
When they finally leave the house, the lights will turn off automatically, and their robot vacuum will start to clean up whatever mess is left behind. Then they hit a button on their phone, and the doors lock while simultaneously the alarm system turns on. Behind the scenes, the thermostat is powering down to save utility costs when nobody is home.
Sounds like the beginning to a perfect morning right? Well, now we can live out the dream of residing in one of those houses by using technology on the market! It is going to cost a pretty penny, but if you have the funds, why not make your house as smart as possible? To achieve this goal, there are a few steps that needed for you to take. To help you out, we’ve listed all the smart gadgets you can try!
1. Control Center
The first thing you need for a smart home is a way to control everything. Multiple different products can make your home smarter, but do you want to be switching from app to app on your phone just to be able to do something simple? Things, like turning off the lights and locking doors, would become annoying pretty quickly.
Lucky for you, platforms like Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Wink allow you to control nearly everything on one device. Be careful when choosing platforms because some products might not work on specific ones. It’s possible that a few can only be controlled through their apps.
2. Security
Arguably the most important thing that people care about their home is the privacy and security of it. We all want to feel safe when we are in our home. Knowing that our loved ones or assets are safe in the house when we are gone is important to a lot of people. For smart homes, you can achieve this by purchasing smart doorbells like Ring or Nest. There are even products like SimpliSafe that set up not just cameras but also motion sensors, sirens, and door sensors.
You can control when these are turned on and monitor the entire system through your smartphone as well! If turning your house into a smart home is the goal, security should be on the top of the priority list for you.
3. Home Amenities
Some of the best perks of owning a smart home are all the amenities that come along with it. Imagine your house knowing that you not only left for work and to turn down the A/C, but also that you’re on your way home and the A/C needs to be back on again so it’s comfortable for you upon arrival!
Products like Ecobee can do that for you, and it can even be voice-controlled. There are light fixtures that you can set up and control through your phone that allow you to turn everything on or off, as well as dimming to your pleasure. Smart remotes like Logitech Harmony Elite, control your entire entertainment systems like TVs, video game consoles, sound systems, and even the shades and lights in the TV rooms!
4. Smart Housework
Does anybody get excited about having to water their gardens or mow the lawn? A smart home product like Rachio 3 can automatically water your gardens and lawns for you! They connect to WiFi and can be managed by your phone. Just set the timer on it and the sprinklers will automatically turn on! The sprinklers can even take pictures of the spots they are programmed to water so you can determine which locations need extra attention. You can even monitor how much water is being used by your sprinklers so you can lower your costs if you need to.
Get a Roomba to use as an automated vacuum while you’re away so you don’t have to pick up any crumbs. Even kitchen appliances will make cooking easier by purchasing ovens that can be turned on remotely, or even dishwashers that turn on remotely as well.
Final Thoughts on Smart Homes
Smart homes are eventually going to become the standard for the future, it’s just a matter of when. If you want all of the smart home needs then it’s going to cost you. But, as time moves on and the technology gets better and cheaper to make, prices of all these smart home products will get so much cheaper. Nothing in life is free, but setting up a smart home is worth it in the long run!