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January 18, 2021
Smart everything is the new way - smart phones, smart cars and now smart homes. But what exactly does it mean to have a “smart” home? What are the benefits? Is it really worth all the trouble? We break down how a smart home can make your life simpler and some easy steps to take to make your home smart.
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The convenience of managing all the technology of your home from one place is a real time saver. It makes it much easier to manage your home if all you have to do is learn how to use one app from your iPhone and tablet. From this one app, you will be able to access countless functions and devices throughout your home. This cuts back on the learning curve and makes it easier to access the functionality you truly want for your home.
With any smart home system, it is exceptionally easy to integrate new devices and appliances into your system. No matter how state-of-the-art your system seems now, there will always be newer models released as time goes on. These newer technologies are usually seamlessly integrated into current systems. Not only can you upgrade easily, but you can add new appliances to your system with a simple wifi connection and even start making your outdoors smart as well! The possibilities are endless.
Incorporating security and surveillance into your smart home network, there can a real improvement in your overall system. There are a lot of options here for instance, through a smart home security system you can connect motion detectors, surveillance cameras, automated door locks, indoor and outdoor lights and other tangible security measures throughout your home so you can activate them from one mobile device before heading to bed. You can choose to receive security alerts on your various devices depending on when the alerts go off, and monitor activities in real-time, whether you’re in the house or relaxing on the beach.
This may seem like a luxury and unnecessary, but don’t underestimate the power of being able to control your home’s functions from a distance. If you’ve been away on a trip and you’re returning in the middle of a cold night, you can start warming your house on your way home from the airport (without wasting energy, but we’ll discuss that more next!) If you’re running late from work and need to get dinner started, you can start preheating the oven on your way home. Both of these may seem like luxuries, but you can also be notified if there is smoke or carbon monoxide in your home, even if you’re not there to hear the alarm, which can save lives and unnecessary damage to your home.
As mentioned above, you can make your home more energy efficient by making it smart. With a smart thermostat, you can program your temperature to increase or decrease depending on your schedule. It will also give you an “eco mode” option, which suggest the best energy efficient settings throughout the day. Lights and motorised shades can be programmed to switch to an evening mode as the sun sets, or lights can turn on and off automatically when you enter or leave the room, so you never have to worry about wasting energy.
Convinced yet? Want to get started right away?
Before get trigger happy on Best Buy and buying all the smart home devices, you’ll need to choose which “assistant” and smart home hub works best for you. Whatever smart home technology you want, most products will connect through a hub (like Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant). Your digital assistant will be how you implement commands. Each hub and assistant has it’s own benefits, depending on what you need. We would be considered a Google smart home - as we both use google phones and our hub is integrated through our google home tablet. Are you an apple user? You may be more comfortable with Siri as your assistant. Your hub determines what products you can sync together, so consider the various forms of tech you plan to buy before you decide.
When googling “smart home products”, the results seem endless and it can be overwhelming trying to decide which ones work for you. It is best to start by addressing why you’ve chosen to install a smart home and your goals for your smart home. Whatever your main focus (or initial reason for wanting a smart home), you can start with those products - don’t worry, you can always add more products as you go! Do you want boost home security? If so, consider smart doorbells, security cameras, and a home security system. Do you want to automate your daily tasks? Go with a smart thermostat, smart lightbulbs and smart outlets. While these products add up in price, many popular options are affordable and you can always start with one area of your home and then grow as your budget allows. Spread out your purchases and slowly build your smart home.
Introducing new products into your home that use your wifi, can cause internet lags depending on the speed of your internet. Your smart home won’t function correctly (or efficiently) if you have a slow internet connect. Don’t fear though, you may not need the top tier package. The best approach is to run a speed test to figure out if you currently have enough Mbps in your monthly plan to support a smart home. Some devices can use up to 4 Mbps of bandwidth, so plan accordingly. If you already have a faster internet (and don’t experience many delays), you shouldn’t have a problem starting with a few devices.
Many smart home devices just require an outlet and are fairly easy to install, while others (like a thermostat or smart switches) may need a specialist to come in to help install. Depending on what you’re installing, determine whether you can DIY or if you’ll need to hire an expert.
Need help organizing a smart home installation plan? Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.
