Your Home in the Age of “Smart”

The smartphones we carry around today are incredibly intelligent and are fantastic instruments that are easy to use and can do a whole lot more than a quick post to your favorite social media outlet. They are a monument to technology as a whole and will continue to grow as time goes on. As our technolgy continues to grow; the possibilities for integration into other parts of our lives will expand with it. The next step into this tech era is the “Smart Home”; which unveils an astonishing amount of capabilities; leaving most people wondering why this didn’t happen sooner.

Moving on to smart technology in your home means complete control of your appliances, lights, air conditioning (climate control), and everything in between. This means you can set your interior lights to turn on when you pull in the driveway and you can check to make sure you closed the garage door when you left from work. These programs are so incredible, you could set your home audio system to play music upon your arrival home!

Ease Your Mind with Smart Home Technology

Have you ever arrived to work, ready to start your day, to only be pestered by the thought of “Did I lock my front door this morning?” Maybe you’ve left for vacation and suddenly realized you left the A\C on full blast for no one other than the dust bunnies that will accumulate while you’re gone. Release that worry but picking up your smart phone and checking in on your home. If you did happen to leave the A\C on, simply set it to a temperature that will save you money while you’re out. Did you leave the door unlocked after you left? Easy. Pick up your phone and lock the front door. Simple, smart, sophisticated, and most importantly logical.

Smart Home Security

Smart Homes aren’t just there to make your residence more energy efficient, we can also use them to increase safety. Installing a security system keeps your driveways and side yards monitored and under surveillance. In the unfortunate event that something does happen, you will have video evidence to prosecute a would-be robber or the raccoon trying to break into your garbage cans.

For those with children, or that are taking care of elderly parents; these tools can make your life (and theirs) astronomically easier. It will also give you peace of mind knowing when the arrive or leave, and where the go afterwards.

Make Multitasking Easier

Although we do not have robots that can do the laundry or make dinner for us (yet), we can remotely start the washer or preheat the oven for dinner. You can also start the dishwasher or turn your furnace on a higher temp to warm your house with the tap of a finger. Maybe you want the curtains open in one room, and closed in another. Simply select the room and close the blinds accordingly. Not only will this help keep your home efficient in using natural resources to help heat or cool the home, it will also help you customize your home the way YOU want to.

• Home Audio – Create playlists from your phone to play inside your home or on the patio
• Lighting – Turn lights on or off from the comfort of your couch
• Climate Control – Change climate settings 
• Security – See who’s at the front door from any smart device
• Structured Wiring – Pre-wire for future technology installations

Cost Effectiveness of Smart Homes

If “going green” didn’t pique your interest, then the financial standpoint will. Savings from smart thermostats alone can be from 10% – 30%. Along with lighting control and smart water heaters, the savings will be very significant. 

As well as saving money; installing these technologies drastically increases the re-sale value of your home. Just by having climate control, a smart water heater, and a home that’s prewired for future installations can increase the value of your home by tens of thousands of dollars. Making the initial investment worth that much more in the long run.

The Future of Technology

While some technologies are still early development, the future is already in your palm. Some aspects of a smart home may require significant investment with long-term rewards. Others are simple, affordable, and can impact your home now. Making small changes to your home’s functionality can help you embrace the larger ones to come, and enjoy the potential savings that add up.