Here are 10 things to turn your new home into a smart home.
Personal assistants
Smart doorbells
With these, you don’t even have to walk to the front door to see who’s ringing the doorbell. They have tons of features that let you monitor whoever is at your door without even being at home yourself. The best smart doorbells are WiFi enabled and connected with other smart systems throughout your home, providing an added boost to home security.
Smart locks
These can be installed for added door security. They are generally touch enabled and completely do not require a key. In addition to basic features like automatic locking, they allow you to lock and unlock your door from your phone. You can even create individual pass codes for different people who may need to access your home. Related Article: What is home automation?
Cameras
Don’t worry, you don’t have to turn your home into the set of Big Brother. You can use these cameras to record what’s going on outside the home or to keep an eye on pets when they’re not around. Cameras are also useful as home security tools to monitor who accesses your house.
Smart thermostats
These can be installed in place of your home’s existing thermostats, where they monitor usage over time to optimize your energy utilization based on when and how you typically heat or cool your home. They also feature compatible apps that allow you to personally monitor daily and monthly usage and make small adjustments for big energy savings.
Smart outlets
Did you know that your plugged-in electronics eat up power even when you’re not actively using them? It’s called standby power and over time it can result in a lot of wasted energy. Smart outlets allow you to take a stand against this kind of power, providing you with the ability to remotely control when your outlets and devices are consuming energy and to set automated rules for this sort of energy usage that aligns with your lifestyle and habits.
LED light bulbs
Exchanging your home’s existing light bulbs with LED light bulbs is a cheap and easy project that will save you money both on your energy bills and on bulb replacements. Most LED bulbs are also compatible with dimming systems, with a wider range of dimming abilities than fluorescent bulbs.
Smart smoke and gas detectors
These are constantly charging themselves so they’re always working properly. They have the ability to tell you exactly where smoke is originating from and alerting you on your smartphone if the devices go off and you’re not home. Many of these detectors can also be integrated with smart thermostats so that if your smoke or carbon monoxide alerts go off your home’s heating system is automatically shut down so as not to exacerbate whatever is going on.
Robot vacuums
There is a lot of time spent cleaning when you could be doing something else. Thanks to smart home technology at least you can skip the time it takes to vacuum. Robot vacuums do the dirty work for you, making frequent trips around your home to suck up dirt, debris, crumbs, pet hair, and whatever else is lying around before manually returning themselves to their charging stations.
Smart kitchens
With this, you are able to coordinate the kitchen devices. For example, your fridge can be connected to the internet so you can view what’s inside of it when you’re at the store so that you know what’s missing. Smart cookers can allow you to make adjustments to your cooking even while you’re away at the office and smart plates and forks can help you monitor food and calorie intake if you’re watching what you eat. Turning your new home into a smart home can be done in a continuous process. You don’t need to completely overhaul everything all at once if it’s not in your budget. If you’ve dreamed of living in the House of the Future, now is your time. Explore the options that make the most sense for your home, your budget, and your lifestyle, and start turning your home into a place that works both with you and for you in the pursuit of a more efficient living.
