A smart home is a smart move as our everyday lives are impacted by a higher degree of technology than ever before.
So, you’ve heard a lot about smart homes, how beneficial they can be, and now want to create one of your own? If you’ve spent some time researching a smart home, then you’ll probably have a good idea of the benefits, and how a smart home could make your day-to-day life easier.
Of course, while the idea of transforming your home into a smart property is an exciting one, it is probably somewhat daunting. It’s not something you can do overnight. It’s a process that will take time and a large investment, so it’s important to be 100 percent sure that a smart home is what you want.
If despite the cost and time it will take to turn your property into a smart home, you are still keen to go ahead, here’s what you need to do. Take note of the tips and advice below, and you can create an incredible smart home.
There are lots of options
When it comes to creating a smart home, it’s important to understand that there are a lot of options to consider. You see, there’s a common misconception that all smart homes are created in the same way, but that’s not actually the case. There are various brands offering technology for a smart home, with each brand’s pieces of tech only working with their other items. So when it comes to creating a smart home, mixing and matching brands of technology isn’t as easy as you would think.
That’s why it’s best to select one brand and stick with it. Of course, the question is, what brand is best? To answer that question, there’s no one brand that is better than another; it’s just a case of determining which brand is the best fit for your home. When it comes to smart technology, Google, Apple, and Samsung are all key players. However, there are also smaller brands that offer their own smart technology. So it’s just a case of determining which is the best option for your home and budget. It’s also worth thinking about longevity and which brand is likely to be around for longest. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money on creating a smart home only for the brand to go out of business. So sometimes using a well-known brand can be a better option.
What areas of your home can be ‘smart’?
The next question to ask yourself is what areas of your home can be smart. The truth is that almost all areas of your home can be smart, from your laundry room to your kitchen. It’s not only rooms that can be smart; you can also opt to have smart lighting and smart heating, for instance. Technology is constantly changing and adapting. The chances are that, within a few years, there will be even more areas of your home that you can make smart. So it’s a good idea to use a brand for your smart home that is likely to be around for many years to come, such as Apple.
In terms of determining which areas of your home you want to make smart, I will go into that a little more below. However, what it’s important to think about is practicality and how making certain areas of your home smart could benefit you and your family. The aim of smart technology is to make your life easier. Say, for instance, you have air conditioning from a company like www.Needhamair.com.au, you could consider looking into how you can make your air con smart so that you can control it from anywhere. This is a service that a lot of specialists now offer, so it’s something that’s definitely worth asking about.
What about your garden?
A lot of people don’t realize it, but it’s not just your home that you can make smart. Your garden can also be transformed into a smart space. Pretty cool, huh? Smart technology can be used outside of your home for everything from detecting intruders to keeping your plants happy and healthy, so it can be incredibly useful.
If you’re a keen gardener, for instance, there are probes that can be placed in the soil that connects to your smartphone and keeps you updated on the health of the plants by monitoring the soil. For instance, if it becomes too dry or too cold, you will be alerted, making growing healthy plants much easier. Another way outdoor smart technology can be highly beneficial is as a form of home security – it can be more effective than some traditional methods.
How smart do you want your home to be?
Once you’ve determined which brand’s smart technology you want to use to transform your home into a smart space, the next step is to think about how smart you want your home to be. That might sound strange, but not everyone wants to make their home totally smart or isn’t able to install all the newest smart technology straight away. For instance, some homeowners only want to make their kitchen smart, while others like the idea of focusing on their property’s heating and making their thermostat smart.
When it comes to how smart you want your home to be, it’s important to take the time to think carefully about it. Because if you’re going to make a large investment into your home, such as by having smart technology and appliances installed, it’s important to ensure that you’re actually going to use them. For instance, if you rarely use your oven and tend to eat out or order in most of the time, investing in a smart oven is a waste of money. However, if you’re someone who uses their oven constantly, then a smart oven could be a good investment to make. The important thing is to think carefully about what you’re investing in, to ensure that you’re not wasting money or investing in a certain appliance just for the sake of it. Only invest in technology that is going to improve your home and make it somewhere that’s nicer to live.
What’s the best way to control your smart home?
Once you’ve determined the type of smart home that you would like to create, the next step is to work out how you will control your smart home. Most of us have heard about smart homes, but when it comes to the best methods of controlling them, we’re clueless. So before you opt to create a smart home, it’s important to get to grips with how you will need to control it. Obviously, using your smartphone is one option, but what are there other options? Can all smartphones be used with all brands of smart technology? There’s a lot to think about when it comes to controlling your smart home.
The good news is that regardless of the brand of smart technology you use, all smartphones should be compatible with it. It’s usually just a case of downloading the appropriate app. However, before opting to select a certain brand of smart technology for your home, such as Apple, it’s a good idea to make sure it works with all types of smartphones. Another option for controlling your smart home is with the use of a control pad, somewhat like the type of control pad you use for your home’s heating and cooling solutions. Then there’s the use of smart watches which can also be used to control smart appliances. Again, it’s important to ensure that your smart technology is compatible with your smart watch of choice.
How long will smart home technology last?
Last but not least, there’s the question of how long smart technology actually lasts. Before you spend a large sum of money transforming your home into a smart space, you’ll probably want to know how long you can expect the technology to last. The best way to determine how long a product will last is to look at it’s warranty. Say, for instance; your smart kettle has a two-year warranty; this means that after this time period it’s more likely to start going wrong. Aim to pick pieces of technology that have longer warranties on them, as that way not only should they last longer, but you’re covered for longer. So should anything go wrong, you can have it fixed for free, helping to save you money.
So there you have it, everything that you need to know about creating a smart home. Admittedly, there’s a lot more to transforming your property into a smart home than meets the eye. However, as long as the updates you’re making are practical, they are more than worth the time and money that they take.
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Header image courtesy of Hive Home, designers of wireless products that control your home from your laptop, tablet, or mobile. Other images courtesy of Wikipedia, Cynthia Bennett & Associates, 50 Degrees North Architects, Smart House Integration, Smart Homes Innovations, and Zulufish. Please click on the image to go to the designer’s website.
