Is your home a smart home? These days it's easier and more affordable than ever to turn your house into the Home of Tomorrow, thanks to an ever-growing number of appliances, devices, and other household products that are designed to connect and "talk" to one another in order to give you the full Jetsons treatment. You don't have to be a techie to join the smart home movement- most smart devices on the market are developed with the average homeowner in mind, and make it their mission to provide you with the most user-friendly setup possible. Here are some tips for taking your home into the 21st century as easily and affordably as possible.
Home is Where the Hub Is
Smart home devices are part of the IoT, or "internet of things." This simply means that they are designed to connect to the internet over your home wifi network, in order to be operated via a smartphone app or external device. But how do you get all of your smart devices to connect and communicate with one another? Simple- you need a hub. A smart home hub is the main connection point for all your smart devices that can be controlled either digitally or with your voice. Some examples of a smart home hub include Google Home, Apple Homekit, and the extremely popular Amazon Echo, known to her devotees as "Alexa." Each of these hubs works well with most smart devices on the market, and choosing one is a matter of personal preference. No matter which hub you choose, make sure that all of your devices are compatible in order to achieve optimal results.
Develop a Smart Home Plan
What do you hope to accomplish by automating your home? If you are trying to conserve energy and save money on your electric bill, you'll want to focus on smart thermostats like Nest, as well as programmable light switches and outlets from a company like Belkin WeMo. If home security is your main concern, it's important to research devices like the Ring video doorbell, August smart lock, and Nest Cams for outdoor surveillance and find out how well they connect with your smart home hub as well as with one another. If your goal is simply to have a futuristic, high-tech home that looks and performs like a house straight out of a sci-fi movie, you may want to consider some of the more awe-inspiring smart home design features, such as programmable window shades or a digital mural that allows you to change your wall art with a touch of your hand. Take time to consider your desired end result before automating your home, so you can concentrate on spending money on the features that are most important to you.
Patience is a Virtue
If you want your home to behave like Iron Man's mansion, but lack the technical genius of Tony Stark, don't panic- most smart home appliances are designed with the average homeowner in mind. Smart home device manufacturers strive to make their products easy to connect for the ultimate user experience. However, this doesn't mean you should expect everything to integrate seamlessly on the first try. Plan ahead for setbacks, hiccups, and occasional frustration as you work on getting your home connected. After all, smart home automation is a rather time-consuming project. If you already know that patience isn't one of your strong suits, you may wish to hire a smart home automation consultant to do the heavy lifting for you. An automation expert can not only help you devise your connectivity plan and recommend the best products for your needs, but can also get everything working in conjunction with one another for a headache-free transition into the future.
No matter how you choose to automate your smart home, you are joining the leagues of like-minded futurists who are ready to embrace the possibilities of technology in our increasingly more connected world. When you decide to make your home a smart home, you are taking an important step towards the convenience, speed, and efficiency that will define the future.
