There are many considerations to make when designing a home. You will need to choose the architectural style, plan the size and number of rooms, and pick out the finishes you will use. A well-designed and carefully planned house will allow you to get the most use out of it and support your day to day needs. However, there is a new way to customize your home to maximize its use and make your life easier.
Many people are incorporating new technology into their houses and turning them into smart homes. A smart home is a house or apartment that uses one or a network of internet-connected smart devices. These devices allow you to manage and control various systems and appliances in and around your residence. Some gadgets detect changes and record movement around your house and send information to your device to monitor the security of your house remotely.
If you’re looking for ways to automate some of them, we’ll share with you five ways to turn your house into a smart home:
1. Smart Plugs
One of the easiest ways to automate some devices in your home is to use a smart plug. These are plugs that go into any regular electric wall socket, and then you can connect your ordinary household appliance to it. These smart plugs can be paired with a Bluetooth device and allow you to turn an appliance on and off remotely through the device or via voice command.
2. Smart Lighting
When it comes to lightbulbs, previously we only had a choice between different shades of white and yellow. Nowadays, LED light bulbs are Bluetooth-enabled, so any regular light socket can be fitted with a smart light bulb and controlled remotely. You can use your device to control the porch light and turn it on before you come home, or to turn it off after you leave if you forget to do so.
3. Smart Window Treatments
Motorized blinds have been around in the market for some time, but with more demand for automation, manufacturers have enabled them to be linked up via Bluetooth as well. You can pre-set a schedule for when they should open and close during the day, depending on the weather and the season. Automatically controlling the amount of light and heat that comes through your window may reduce the amount of energy your house will use to heat or cool it.
4. Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is a programmable device that allows you to control and monitor your home’s heating and cooling systems. These devices can be set on a schedule to turn on and off at specific times of the day. They also have temperature sensors that can detect if a room has reached predetermined room temperature. It will automatically switch off the house’s heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) system to save you money on your utility bills and prolong your equipment.
5. Home Assistant
Some of the more popular home assistants are Google Home and the Amazon Alexa. These are small, voice-activated gadgets that you can link other smart devices to. Once they are linked to the same system, you can give voice commands to your home assistant to control the various appliances within the network.
Customize to your heart’s content
You can custom design any number of equipment or functions to turn your house into a smart home. Presently, most houses can be fitted with a variety of commercially available smart gadgets like those mentioned above. You can start with something as simple as automating the coffeemaker with a smart plug, or as complex as a network of kitchen appliances.
If you’re building a new house from the ground up, consult a designer or custom home builder who can help you incorporate intelligent devices into the structure of your house. They can recommend the best enhancements that you can build into the framework of the house, such as security cameras and alarms, air quality control sensors, or automatic temperature control systems.
Conclusion
The biggest advantages of having a smart home are that you feel you are getting more control over the functions of your house and making it run as efficiently as possible. Internet-enabled devices can be a bit more costly than their conventional counterparts. However, when used correctly, you may be able to save more time and money in the long run.
Are you looking for a custom home builder in Greenwood who can help you design a smart home? Send us a message and see how we can enhance your home today!
