The concept of an automated home that can control everything inside it—from lighting to entertainment to security—has been around since even before the internet. Once only in the realm of science fiction, these “smart homes” are increasingly becoming a reality.
Our ideas about what a smart home should look like have changed a bit since the early days. Most smart devices in new homes connect to a central hub for automation, using a home Wi-Fi network. Setting them up and getting them running requires a lot of planning—potentially a major challenge for a new homeowner.
However, the convenience of new home smart devices are well worth the effort they take to plan out. Read on to learn how you can get started installing smart devices into your new home.
How to Make Your New Home Smart
While it’s best to incorporate smart devices for new homes little by little, there are a few general guidelines to follow regarding the entire setup process:
1. Focus on Need: What types of smart devices do you anticipate being most important to your lifestyle? Focus on those specific categories when researching what to buy. To keep things even simpler, only look for devices that are compatible with your current smartphone.
2. Come up with a Budget: Think about how much you want to spend on smart devices in general and keep your search within that price range. Otherwise, you could get lost researching high-powered devices that cost way more than you want to spend.
3. Stay at a Safe Technical Level: It is tempting to go for the most high-tech model on the market, but it’s usually better to stick with beginner-level gadgets at first. You don’t want to install a device only to find out that its learning curve is a bit too steep. Feel free to explore more complex options if you feel comfortable with the technology.
There are smart devices available for every area of your home. While some may seem unnecessary for your particular lifestyle, others may be just what you need to make things a little easier. Let’s look at some areas of your home where smart devices might work for you.
Kitchen Smart Devices
Have you ever left something cooking in the oven while you dashed out for a quick errand and then got held up, fretting about burning the house down? Consider installing a smart oven that you can turn off remotely using a smartphone. Most major appliance manufacturers like GE, Samsung, and LG have offerings at different price points.
Many new homes already have other smart kitchen items like refrigerators with touchscreens and cameras. These devices allow you to take a quick peek inside your fridge while shopping to see if you really need to buy more eggs. Look for other compatible appliances such as microwaves, toaster ovens, and even pressure cookers that allow you to start cooking your meals from anywhere.
Security
Think beyond outdoor cameras as you investigate smart security devices. Consider incorporating smart locks in addition to Wi-Fi enabled doorbell cameras. These devices allow you to lock and unlock your doors, identify visitors, and even converse with them, all from wherever you are.
In addition, many home security providers offer systems capable of integrating with your other smart devices. They can monitor existing devices and send alerts directly to your phone.
Entertainment
There are a vast array of choices when considering which devices to incorporate into a home entertainment center. Smart outlets allow you to turn devices on and off remotely, while a voice-controlled hub can raise and lower the volume on your TV or stereo. Try to get devices that are all capable of communicating with each other.
A common-sense addition is a smart remote. Smart remotes go beyond controlling all of your entertainment devices, allowing you to control lighting, temperature, or anything else connected to your home network.
All-Purpose Hubs
Many new homeowners decide to set up a smart hub to control all of the devices in their homes. Major players like Amazon, Google, Samsung, and Apple all produce hubs capable of integrating with every smart tool you own.
Pay attention to the number and types of protocols each hub supports. You will want a hub that supports as many protocols as possible to expand its compatibility with your devices. Some companies produce more advanced wall panel controllers that can handle multiple protocols from many types of devices throughout your entire home.
When setting up a smart home as a new home owner, you can choose to incorporate as many gadgets as you like. Even if you don’t want to fully automate your entire home, smart devices can still offer extra convenience and security to your life. For more information about smart home technology and other important points for new home buyers, check out the rest of the resources on our site.