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( votes)What is a smart home? This seemingly straightforward question has many answers, depending on the person you ask. In a nutshell, a “smart home” is a residence equipped with various devices that automate tasks usually performed by humans. Some of the devices are embedded in the structure, while others can be added later. Smart homeowners operate with them via artificial intelligence or voice commands.
Depending on your preferences, a smart home can be as simple as buying a smart thermostat. For others, turning a house into a smart home involves linking several different products, including cameras, speakers, smartphones, computers, security systems, televisions, and more.
In this article, we’ll try to explain why turning your house into a smart home can potentially make your life easier.
Why Should I Spend All That Money on a Smart Home?
Now that we’ve explained what a smart home is, let’s see why upgrading your house into a smart home would be a good investment.
Saving Energy
For many people, the main reason for buying a smart home is money— 45% of Americans say smart devices help them save money.
With automated heating and air conditioning systems, smart homeowners can precisely and quickly automate a home’s heating and cooling. This represents a great opportunity to save energy and cut down on electric bills. Furthermore, connected appliances and lights can optimize energy consumption by turning themselves off when they aren’t in use. These kinds of products should be at the top of everyone’s smart home “to buy” list.
Improved Security and Safety
While alarm systems are useful for adding another layer of protection to your home, smart homes can offer even better security. Connected cameras, lights, and even doorbells can help you make sure that your loved ones are well taken care of. If you’re on vacation and someone is sneaking around your house, having these kinds of devices might scare them off.
For increased safety, you can remotely lock the doors you forgot to lock, even if you’re 5,000 miles away. You can also use cameras to monitor whether or not your loved ones are safe and sound. So whether you’re on vacation or sitting in your office an hour away, you can view your family from afar and communicate with them through a smart device. Automated technology gives peace of mind to parents about loved ones left by themselves.
Handling Regular Household Tasks
If you want to lighten your household burdens, automated devices have you covered there too. The most practical and useful device is the robotic vacuum cleaner, along with similar products. However, other appliances can also come with a smart home function. Just imagine a refrigerator that orders milk every time you’re out or a washing machine that automatically starts a wash cycle. These are all small things, but they can make your life much more comfortable and convenient in so many ways.
Making the Home More Interesting
What is home if not a place where you can relax and hang out with your family and friends? Smart technology can also provide a source of entertainment and keep you informed in unique and exciting ways.
Smart speakers combined with virtual assistants can offer news and sports scores, play music, and even help you control other devices. Your smart devices can help you find a good movie to watch, either at home or in a real movie theater.
Popular Smart Home Products
There are countless products that can help you automate your home and make it smarter. To help get you started, we’ve composed a shortlist of the most popular smart products on the market nowadays.
Amazon Echo
Amazon has recently launched a new, second-generation Echo connected speaker. Using the company’s most significant asset, Alexa, as a digital assistant, Echo works on voice commands to help you manage your home. If you prefer Google’s offerings, there’s also Google Home.
Ring Video Doorbell
This smart doorbell has a camera attached to it that allows the owners to take a sneak peek on their tablets or smartphones and see whoever is outside their house. The system also comes with a speaker that will enable you to communicate with people outside the door from far away. You can check out Amazon’s Hello Nest smart doorbells.
Samsung SmartThings Hub
In the process of making your house a smart home, buying a central hub that connects all your devices together is a must. And you can’t go wrong with the latest generation of Samsung SmartThing Hub. It supports almost all wireless protocols, along with Google Assistant and Alexa voice commands, for easy home automation.
Conclusion
While the benefits of upgrading your “regular” home into a smart one may seem tempting, there are a few drawbacks and risks that can make you long for less technological days. Nevertheless, as this trend becomes more popular, we predict that more people will prefer the comfort and benefits that this technology brings.
Smart homes can not only make your life easier but can vastly increase accessibility for disabled family members or the elderly. By utilizing voice commands to control appliances, and having control of their daily home needs at their fingertips, they can live a more independent life. All in all, the benefits of owning a smart home outweigh any potential risks by far.
