Picture this… You just crawled into bed with your favorite book and you’ve got your pillows in just the right spot. Then, moments later, you realize you left the heater on too high of a setting and forgot to turn the lights off downstairs. Now you have to get up, adjust the heater and walk back upstairs only to attempt to find that peace and comfort you had achieved only moments before. It’s a common occurrence across the country, but it doesn’t have to be. Home automation is now more common, and more affordable, than ever before.
While home automation once seemed like something straight out of Star Trek or another Sci-Fi series, recent years have seen astounding technological advances that have begun to fundamentally alter the way things work in our homes.
Essentially, home automation refers to devices, appliances, and systems that connect and can be controlled remotely. When you bring the technology in your home together through a central network, this is often referred to as a “connected home.” For instance, home automation can allow you to connect your home’s thermostat, locks, TVs, and even your appliances to the internet, allowing you to control all of these devices from a central hub in your home, or even from a home automation app on your smartphone.
Let’s take a look at how home automation can change the way you live!
Manage All of Your Devices From One Location
Perhaps the greatest benefit that smart home automation provides is the ability to control all of your devices from one location. That’s right. No more headaches from losing all of those remotes that just seem to always find their way in between the cushions. Smart devices allow you to connect to, and control, your gadgets and appliances wirelessly from your phone, removing the need for additional cords and controllers.
Convenience
We couldn’t understate the convenience of a home automation system if we wanted to. Imagine having control of your entire home at the palms of your hands. Forgot to lock the door? No problem. Left the light on downstairs? Turn it off with your phone. The list of convenient benefits remains endless! And remember, you can utilize these features from anywhere with an internet connection! Feel like checking in on your pets during the workday? No problem.
Increase Energy Efficiency
In addition to being convenient, home automation can also help to save you money. While home automation allows you to control devices and appliances throughout your home from your smartphone, making your daily life easier, these systems can also be controlled when you are out of the house. This gives you the freedom to check on systems in your home and alter their settings when you are on the go, saving you money on your energy bill.
In your hurry to get out of the house in the morning, you may forget to turn off your heater, the TV, or the coffee maker. Prior to home automation, these mistakes could end up costing you money. However, with home automation, you can check the status of these systems remotely wherever you are, and even get notifications when things are left on at odd hours.
No More Fumbling for Keys
Home automation can also provide you with added security by allowing you to do away with traditional keys. Upgrading the locks around your home to smart locks can add convenience by allowing you to enter and exit your home without the need for a key, which can be copied or stolen. This means no more fumbling with keys when your hands are full of groceries, or worrying about how you will get inside if you forget your keys. As long as you have your phone with you, you will have the convenience of keyless access to your home.
Upgrading to smart locks can also improve your home’s safety, as eliminating the need for a physical key makes it harder for people to break into your home. The fact is that keys are easy to misplace, and if you lose your key, you may have to replace your locks to prevent a break-in. With smart locks, you can forgo physical keys, allowing you to have one less thing to worry about.
If you travel frequently and rely on friends and family to house sit, this often means creating multiple duplicate house keys to give to people, or leaving a key hidden somewhere where a burglar may find it. Neither option is perfect, as many people are uncomfortable having multiple copies of their house keys floating around. Fortunately, smart locks take the stress out of letting people house sit. You can simply create a temporary virtual key that your house sitters can use to access your home for a predetermined amount of time, and you will even be able to see when they enter and exit your home. For additional security when you are not at home, you can check to make sure that all of the doors have been locked when your house sitter leaves.
Help for The Forgetful
If you often find yourself forgetting to close the garage door, lock the front door, or even turn off the oven when you leave the house, then home automation could benefit your safety and peace-of-mind. The fact is that when we are on the go, it is easy to forget things; however, there is nothing worse than the sense of dread one feels when they get to work only to realize that they did not secure their home properly.
Instead of having to rush home on your lunch break, or call a neighbor to have them check on your home, you can use your home automation system to ensure everything is properly secured. From your phone, you can close your garage door, lock the front door, and turn off all the lights and appliances throughout your home. While you may discover that everything was already secure, home automation gives you peace-of-mind as it makes it easy for you to check on your home from wherever you are.
Integrated Security System
Of course, no home automation system is complete without a modern home security system. However, while these systems used to be complicated and expensive to set up and maintain, these systems are now more affordable and user-friendly than ever before. These fully integrated home security systems can easily be accessed from your phone, allowing you to check security camera footage and arm/disarm the system remotely from wherever you are. You can easily check to see if the kids made it home from school or keep an eye on elderly family members. This gives you complete control over your home’s security.
Worry-Free Vacations
By now, you have likely realized the many ways in which the smart features we have discussed could give you peace-of-mind when going out of town. Not only does home automation make it easy to let in house sitters, check your home’s security, and ensure that your HVAC system and appliances are off, but it also gives you the ability to create the illusion that you are home. With smart lighting and motorized window treatments, you can create the appearance of activity in your home throughout the day, which can help to deter potential burglars. When coupled with integrated home security systems, home automation helps to ensure that your home is safe, and you are able to relax when you go away on vacation.
No longer considered to be a luxury for the rich and famous, home automation is truly revolutionizing the way people go about their daily routines. With properly integrated smart home technology, you can control systems throughout your home from a single device no matter where you are, giving homeowners access to convenience and security like never before. Feel free to contact us to learn more about how a home automation app could change the way you live as well as for advice on how to integrate smart technology into your home.
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