After the day’s work and activities, everyone deserves a comfortable, conducive, and peaceful home to come home to. If you are looking for a way to spice up your home to make it more habitable, a smart home may be the answer to your search.
What is a Smart Home?
A smart home is a well-equipped and convenient home set-up where electronic devices, heating, and lighting can be automatically controlled from anywhere using an internet connection with a mobile phone or computer.
Having a smart home comes with lots of benefits when executed well. It provides the homeowner with maximum comfort and peace of mind by controlling all their smart devices from their phone. In this guide, we will help you make the best decision for your smart home by highlighting some of the necessary things to consider. Before that, let us look at some of the benefits of a smart home.
Benefits of a Smart Home
The advantages of a smart home are:
1. Security
A smart home helps you monitor your home even when you are not around; thereby, countering any form of danger or burglary. For instance, you can connect motion detectors, surveillance cameras, automated door locks, and other security measures in your home so you can activate them from your mobile device before going out or sleeping.
2. Accommodate Users’ Preference
A homeowner can program their doors to close or open at a specific time, play music whenever they want, or the light and fireplace to go on or off at any time.
3. Enhanced Efficiency
A smart irrigation system ensures the lawns, flowers, and plants are watered at a specific time and with adequate water. This way, the user can focus on other things in the house such as the outdoor garden or choosing the siding they want to install.
4. Saves Money
A smartphone can save you from paying outrageous bills during moments when you forget to put on or off the lights, AC, and other appliances.
Things You Need to Build Your Smart Home
Highlighted below are points to know about building your smart home;
1. Get to Know the Connected Devices
Before building a smart home, you need to know the devices you can connect to and their features. Some of the devices include smart lighting, smart speakers, smart thermostats, security cameras, smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, audio system, smart irrigation, and smart mirror.
2. Take One Step at a Time
With so many gadgets being produced and introduced into the market every day, building a smart home can be a daunting and overwhelming task. But you can get over this feeling by taking it at your own pace. Consider starting with one or two gadgets first before incorporating others.
If you like the idea of controlling the light and music in your house, you may purchase smart bulbs which allow you to control the light in your home with different brightness levels and colour temperature. You can also automatically turn it on and off.
3. Get the Right Temperature Controller
A temperature controller is a device that automatically controls the heating and cooling equipment to maintain a constant temperature. It controls the temperature by measuring the current room temperature and compares it with the user’s desired set point. Then it controls a heater or air conditioner to regulate the temperature to meet the desired set point.
The continuous use of the heating and cooling systems can cause outrageous electric and gas bills and regular equipment diagnostics. Hence, getting a suitable smart temperature controller will save you tons of bills and energy and increase your gadgets’ lifespan.
4. Compatibility
Sometimes you may get carried away with the idea of building a smart home that you forget to check for compatibility. A smart home means that all the devices must connect. If not, you will find yourself going back and forth to the store. For instance, what works with Google Assistant may not work with Samsung SmartThings. Do some research before heading to the store to avoid returning items bought. You can also perform some home remodeling and then convert your typical house into a smart house, but of course whether to buy one or remodel it, it’s your choice.
Conclusion
To conclude, having to control your home devices with a touch of your finger is pure bliss. Not only does it provide the ultimate convenience, but also enhances security. So why not start transforming your home into a smart home today.
(Written by Heidi Rosenberg, 17th June 2021)