Convenient Living: The Top 3 Benefits of a Smart Home

What is a Smart Home and How Does it Work?

A smart home is a residence that uses advanced technology to provide increased home security, convenience, energy efficiency, and peace of mind. Linking various smart devices (i.e. thermostats, cameras, door locks) to an online platform or “hub” allows homeowners to monitor and control their home from one device. Utilising an internet connection, a smart home can be controlled remotely allowing homeowners to access and manage their home from anywhere in the world.

What is the Goal of a Smart Home?

A smart home might seem like a luxury, but it can offer many benefits for homeowners. The goal of smart systems is to make life more convenient, comfortable, energy-efficient, and secure.

By connecting appliances and devices to the internet, you can create a convenient, efficient home that makes your life easier and reap other benefits too.

Here are Three of the Top Benefits of having Smart Home Technology

1. Smart Homes Increased Security

One of the most significant benefits of smart home automation is the increased security it can provide.

Alarm systems have been used in properties for many years but with burglar alarms appearing to go off at random or set off accidentally, we all know how these alarms can go unnoticed. Let’s face it, no one is as interested in your alarm triggering as you are! With remote monitoring, you can be alerted to any activity around your home even when you’re not there.

Smart homes are equipped with features like motion detection and home security cameras that can help you keep an eye on your property at all times. In the event of a break-in, you’ll be able to see footage of the intruder and provide it to the police.

With a smart home security system, you can also receive an alert if a window or door has been left open. So, if you’re in a hurry to get to work and accidentally leave the front door unlocked, you can quickly check your mobile device to see if it’s secure and lock it if necessary.

You can also set up alerts to notify you if someone has been in your home when they shouldn’t have been. This is especially useful if you’re out of town and want to keep an eye on your property.

Smart Home Locks

A smart lock is a type of door lock that uses an electronic, rather than a conventional lock. Smart locks can be opened and closed using a mobile app, a physical key, or a code.

Some smart locks also come with features like fingerprint recognition and facial recognition, which can add an extra layer of security to your home.

If you lose your keys or forget the code to your smart lock, you can simply reset it using your smartphone. This is much easier than having to change the locks on your doors, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

You can also use this smart device to control who has access to your home. This is especially handy if you frequently have guests or service providers coming in and out. You can give them a temporary code to enter your home and then deactivate it once they’ve left. By utilising this in conjunction with a smart doorbell, you can be sure that your home is only accessible to people to who you want to have access.

Smart Home Doorbell

Another great way to increase security at home is to install smart doorbells. These devices are equipped with cameras and usually come with two-way audio so you can see and speak to whoever is at your door. This is great for deterring burglars as they will think that someone is home even if you’re not. These can also be useful for accepting deliveries or when you’re not home allowing you to speak to the delivery driver and give instructions on where to leave your package.

Installing a smart doorbell for an elderly relative’s house will allow you to check who is calling in on them when you are not around and monitor any activity if you feel they could be taken advantage of by bogus callers.

Smart Security Systems can help to give you peace of mind, knowing that your home is safe and secure even when you’re not there.

2. Smart Homes Energy Efficiency

Another of the advantages of smart home automation is increased energy efficiency. Features like smart thermostats and lighting can help you to save money on your energy bills by reducing the amount of power you use.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats can be programmed to turn off when you’re not home or when you’re asleep. This means that you’re not paying to heat or cool an empty house. You can also set them to turn on a few minutes before you arrive home so that the temperature is comfortable by the time you walk in the door or you can change the time if you are delayed making your home more energy efficient.

These devices can also be controlled remotely, so if you forget to turn off the air conditioning before you leave for work, you can simply turn it off using your smartphone.

Smart Appliances

A smart appliance like a washing machine or dryer can also be set to run during off-peak hours when energy is cheaper, which saves money on your energy bills. They can also be programmed to finish as you arrive home from work so that your laundry is finished and you don’t have to wait around for it, or worst still put it on for another rinse because it’s been sat in the machine for too long. With remote access to smart home systems, you can organise your smart appliances in a way to work well for you, reducing energy use and making energy savings.

Smart Home Lighting

Smart lighting can be controlled using a mobile app or a physical switch. You can also set them to turn on and off at certain times of the day or night. This is a great way to save energy as you’re not paying to light an empty house.

Some smart lights also come with features like motion sensors and dimmers. These can be helpful for energy savings as they will only turn on when someone is in the room or when you need less light.

Reduced Environmental Impact

Well-run Smart homes can have less energy consumption than traditional homes, which means they have a smaller carbon footprint.

3. Smart Homes Convenience

As well as increased security and energy efficiency, another of the benefits of a smart home is convenience.

Tasks that were once time-consuming and tedious can now be completed with the touch of a button or even automate. For example, you can program your coffee maker to start brewing as soon as your alarm goes off in the morning.

You can also set your smart home devices to work together. For example, you can have your lights turn on as soon as your front door is opened or you can program your thermostat to lower the temperature when you start watching a movie.

The Convenience of Smart Technology

One of the most convenient features of a smart home is the ability to control everything from your smartphone. Whether you’re at work, on holiday, or simply in another room of the house, you can control your smart devices using your mobile device.

A smart home system means that you don’t have to worry about whether or not you remembered to turn off household appliances before you left for work or if you left the lights on when you went to bed. You can simply check your hub or smartphone and turn them off if necessary.

Smart home technologies give more control over your home, from opening your garage doors as you arrive home from work, to closing your curtains as the sun goes down. With devices connected through a wifi connection, you can create a system to smoothly run your daily life from heating and cooling systems to keep your home at the optimum temperature, to lighting and multi-media systems that follow you through your home and smart security systems using real time monitoring to keep your home safe and secure.

Where to start with Smart Home Technology

There are many smart appliances on the market now and it can be difficult to know where to start.

If you’re thinking of turning your home into a smart home, there are a few things you need to consider.

What are your Goals?

Think about which automated tasks would help you run your home more efficiently and what you would like to achieve. Is increased security your priority or do you want to save energy and money?

What is your Budget?

The cost of smart devices has come down in recent years, but it’s still important to consider what you can afford. Once you have an idea of your budget, you can start looking at devices that fit your needs. There are many options available, from adding the odd smart appliance, smart plugs or smart lighting, to having a fully integrated smart home so consider how much investment you want to make.

What is your Tech Comfort Level?

Are you comfortable with new technology or do you prefer things that are more tried and tested? If you’re not confident with installing devices or connecting them to your wifi network, you may want to consider a system that comes with installation and support.

If you are ready to begin your journey into smart home technologies contact our team today.