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Your lifelong dreams of living in a space-aged home like George Jetson are finally about to come to fruition. It’s probably much easier than you think to transform your home into a smart home. And you may find more conveniences than you ever imagined.
A smart TV and good WIFI is a good place to start, but it alone does not make a smart home. Smart homes require that you have almost complete virtual control of their functionality, and here’s how it’s done:
Install Smart Locking Systems
Have you ever been at work and wondered whether you remembered to lock the doors? Sometimes we go on autopilot when we perform the same tasks every day, which makes it difficult to remember.
Smart locking systems allow you to check whether your doors are locked and lock or unlock them from wherever you are. Possibly the best benefit of a smart lock is that you don’t need to rummage around to find your keys. Simply punch in a code or scan your fingerprint.
Additional benefits to smart locking systems include easy home monitoring and tracking.
Use a Video Doorbell
Do you remember what life was like before caller ID? At this point, it seems like the Stone Ages. One day, we may say the same about life with a video doorbell that tells us who is at the door before we open it.
Imagine being able to see if it’s your grandma knocking at the door or some unsolicited peddler. Video doorbells allow you to view your front door at any time, even when you’re away from home.
Some models will even alert you to movement, so you can check to see if there’s an intruder. This smart device is especially helpful for anyone who lives alone and is concerned with safety.
Install a Smart Thermostat
If you don’t have a smart thermostat already, it’s time to get one. These smart devices can save you money on your energy bill and help keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
Smart thermostats are capable of learning your preferences and schedule, and then they can adjust the temperature accordingly. Some models also have sensors you can place in other rooms of your home for even more control.
Consider Connected Lighting
Connected lighting is the smart home addition you never knew you needed and won’t be able to live without. Once you start using these systems, you’ll find them to be surprisingly helpful.
They allow you to turn off the lights after you leave the house or turn them on right before you enter. You can make the lights warmer or cooler throughout the day based on how you’d like to set the mood.
Your connected lighting app can even alert you to new information, which can be an indicator that someone has entered or left your home.
Once you start using connected lighting, it’s easy to become addicted to the level of control it gives you.
Smarten Up Your Television
Aside from handheld devices, smart televisions were among the first smart devices to enter people’s homes. Today, we’ve seen an upgrade in functionality.
All smart TVs allow you to access apps like Netflix and Hulu, but the smart televisions of today are increasingly functioning more like computers or smartphones.
Many smart TVs now run on the Android TV platform, which means they typically come with at least 16GB of storage. If you can’t bear replacing your non-smart television, consider getting a device like a Roku or Amazon Firestick.
Get a Home Remote Control
Imagine the convenience of controlling your home with one remote control – just as you would with your television.
Universal home remote controls like the Logitech Harmony Home Control can connect to your smart thermostat, locking system and lighting system in addition to controlling all the televisions, Blu-ray players and gaming consoles.
The best part is that you can control them all from your phone, so there’s no need to hunt around for the remote control.
Get a Smart Washer and Dryer
Would you ever have thought of owning an appliance that automatically turned itself on whenever your energy rates are at their lowest?
That’s essentially what LG’s SmartThinQ washer/dryer combo does. The device detects when energy usage in your area is at a low and turns itself on then, assuming you have loaded the machine and set it to do so. You can also manually change the start time of preset wash cycles from your smartphone.
To control your new space-aged home, all you really need is your smartphone. Sit back and relax while you dim the lights, lock the doors, adjust the temperature and start a load of laundry – all from the comfort of your couch.
If someone knocks on the door, you can check to see whether it’s worth getting up to answer before you leave your comfortable station. This is (smart) living.
