Experts in the smart home industry say that those smart home products which sell the most are the ones that solve legitimate needs.
Makes good sense.
It can cost thousands of dollars to retrofit a home with all of the latest in smart home features. Not everyone is interested in automatic blinds that open and close on their own, but they are interested in saving money…and feeling secure.
The following smart home projects can be quickly and easily added to your home and the bonus is they’ll add value to your home as well as your life.
1. Smart video camera
You can keep an eye on your home no matter where you’re at with a smart video camera.
They’re very easy to set up and require only an internet connection – and of course power – to be able to send you live images through your phone, tablet or computer.
There are a large number of smart video cameras on the market with different options and prices to suit every budget, and are the perfect tool to help you monitor your pets and ensure the safety of your family and home.
Common features include:
- ⬥Pan and scan around the room
- ⬥Wide angle lenses
- ⬥Ability to record
- ⬥Live video and audio
- ⬥Motion detectors
2. Smart home lighting
Smart home lighting can make it appear that you’re at home when you’re not – a definite addition to your smart home camera security system – but it can do a lot more.:
- ⬥Lights can be turned on or off according to a schedule or as you want via your smartphone
- ⬥You can check the status of your lights at any time to see if they’re on or off
- ⬥You can change the mood of each room by selecting the right hue (e.g. brighter lights in task areas such as under the kitchen cabinets)
3. Smart wall switches
If you’d like to turn off and on more than just your lights, smart wall switches could do the trick.
These switches connect to your home’s Wi-Fi, enabling you to:
- ⬥Turn on and off appliances from your smartphone
- ⬥Turn on and off lights from your smartphone
- ⬥Set a timer or manually adjust the lighting and appliances in your home
Smart outlets or smart plugs
Just like smart switches, smart outlets or smart plugs will let you remotely control appliances, lamps, radios, TVs, etc., making it appear as if someone is home.
4. Smart thermostat
The main control center of your heating and cooling system is the thermostat, so it makes sense to install a smart thermostat for maximum energy savings.
Just like other smart home products, smart thermostats can be controlled from a smartphone that accesses your home internet. It can be either programmed to go on or off, or adjust temperature according to a predetermined schedule or as the user desires.
Some can also recognize whether or not anyone is at home and adjust the temperature accordingly.
As you can see there are a number of ways you can smarten up your home easily and for less than what you might think and as the technology continues to develop not only will we see more variety of products on the market, prices will begin to drop as competition heats up.
A definite win for the homeowner who wants to make their dumb home smart!
