Every year, technology is becoming more popular. Recently, many technologies have been popularized, including voice assistants, security cameras, smart locks, and smart lights.
Are you considering selling your home in the foreseeable future? If you want to list your home for sale in today's unpredictable market, what can you do to ensure a good deal?
One ideal way to do this is to smarten your home with technology. The good part about this is that it's pretty simple to set up, and if you choose the right products, you can even get it all to work with a central voice assistant like Amazon's Echo devices that come with the Alexa voice assistant.
Even you don't plan to sell your home yet, adding technology can provide you with added safety and comfort.
Let's look at 9 aspects of your home that can be upgraded with some smart home technology:
Smart Locks
Smart locks are a convenient and straightforward way to increase your home's security. The best smart locks on market let you lock and unlock your doors with voice commands or via an app on your smartphone.
Other features include tamper alarms, e-mail notifications, and real-time information about who is coming and going.
Recommended Products:
Wyze Smart Lock - check prices on Amazon
August Smart Lock - check prices on Amazon
Eufy Smart Lock - check prices on Amazon
Smart Video Doorbell
Smart doorbells can be installed quickly and are inexpensive. They allow you to see who's at your door, communicate with them before you open the door, and some even open your doors for you.
Smart doorbells connect to your smartphone to communicate with the person at your front door even when you aren't there. This is especially helpful if you're usually out during the day and worry about the security of your home while you're away.
Recommended Products:
Blink Video Doorbell - check prices on Amazon
Ring Video Doorbell - check prices on Amazon
Arlo Video Doorbell - check prices on Amazon
Security Cameras
Security cameras are next on the list. A smart security camera is effortless to set up and connect to your home system. The smart camera lets you look at a live stream from a mobile app in most cases. Once set up at your front door or porch, you no longer have to worry about home security.
There are multiple sorts of security cameras available. They vary in size and mounting options. Most people install security cameras close to their main doors. With features like motion detection and human detection, some more advanced cameras even notify you of activity at your home.
You don't even need a hard drive for the images that these security cameras capture. They get transferred to an SD card on the camera or uploaded to the Cloud for later reference.
Recommended Products:
Ring Solar Smart Security Camera - check prices on Amazon
Blink Mini Smart Indoor Camera - check prices on Amazon
Kasa Smart Security Camera - check prices on Amazon
Smart Thermostats
Although thermostats have been around for centuries, technological advances have made it possible for thermostats to connect to Wi-Fi. It was undoubtedly going to happen before tech companies produced smart thermostats.
A pre-programmed smart thermostat allows you to set the temperature in your home, so it is always right. The newest smart thermostats can be synced with sensors that optimize their behavior.
Additionally, smart thermostats are known to save up to 15% of the energy spent on heating and air-conditioning.
Recommended Products:
Google Nest Learning Thermostat - check prices on Amazon
Amazon Smart Thermostat - check prices on Amazon
Ecobee Smart Thermostat - check prices on Amazon
Wyze Smart Thermostat - check prices on Amazon
Smart Shades
What if your curtains and blinds could go up and down at the press of a button - or even better - with a voice command? That's now possible with smart shades. Not only can you control them, but you can also schedule them to go up and down at certain times of the day.
Smart shades, like smart thermostats, can lower your utility bills. They regulate the amount of natural sunlight that enters your home even when it isn't in your presence.
There's a tremendous amount of convenience that smart shades add to your home. This is even more true when some large blinds or curtains are complex for a person to open and close.
Recommended Products:
Graywind Motorized Shades - check prices on Amazon
Somfy DIY Motorized Blinds Kit - check prices on Amazon
Hauschen Motorized Blinds - check prices on Amazon
Security Sensors
Smart home security sensors allow you to monitor your property from anywhere easily you are.
If you're on vacation and want the assurance that no one has broken into your home or stolen anything, you can log in to your smartphone and view footage from security cameras placed throughout your home.
These systems include motion detectors, magnetic sensors to detect window or door openings, and more. If any of these sensors trips, you get a security notification, and the authorities can be notified.
Recommended Products:
Broadlink Smart Motion Sensor - check prices on Amazon
Yolink Door Sensor - check prices on Amazon
Smart Smoke Detectors
A smoke detector will alert you if there is smoke in your home or other noxious gases.
Did you know that a smart smoke detector can also help you save money? Homeowners with a smart smoke detector in their homes may be eligible for lower insurance rates.
They are inexpensive and easy to use, install, maintain, and clean. It is unnecessary to use "unintelligent smoke detectors" anymore. Not only will a smart smoke detector sound an alarm in case of a fire, but it will also notify you and emergency contacts so that the situation can be swiftly dealt with.
Recommended Products:
Google Nest Protect - check prices on Amazon
Onelink Smart Smoke Detector - check prices on Amazon
Smart Speakers
Smart speakers are not just for music. A smart speaker can be paired with an assistant virtual like Alexa so you can interact with it.
It can help you with questions like: What is the weather forecast for today? Or Who won the big game last evening? When does the shop open for business? etc.
Speak to your smart speaker, and it will play the music you choose.
Recommended Products:
Amazon Echo Devices - see prices & range on Amazon
Bose Smart Speakers - see prices & range on Amazon
Smart Lights
Smart light bulbs are the final product on our wish list. They can significantly reduce your electricity bills.
You can use them to replace regular bulbs. To control them, all you have to do is tell your lights to switch on, dim, or turn off. Additionally, they come with scheduling, app control, and sensor-driven functionalities.
Smart lights have a plethora of uses. You can set them to go on for a specific time in the evening to give potential burglars the impression that someone's home - discouraging them from targeting you. You can set up custom lighting ambiances in your room for different occasions. You could also use gradual dimming and brightness to help you sleep or wake up.
Overall, smart lights can help your well-being if used to their full potential. Most Smart Light ranges cover everything from bulbs and RGB strips to step lights to night lights - all of which can either be controlled via an App or with Alexa.
Recommended Products:
Phillips Hue - see prices & range on Amazon
LifX Smart Lights - see prices & range on Amazon
Wyze Smart Lights - see prices & range on Amazon
TP-Link / Kasa Smart Lights - see prices & range on Amazon
The Takeaway
Simple gadgets and smart devices can be added to your home to increase convenience and functionality. Even when you're not there, you can control the features and appliances in your home.
Smart features can also be a selling point if your house is sold. They give the impression of modernity and style. These features can make the place seem more expensive and give it a state-of-the-art feel.
The value of your home is only as much as you can convince a potential buyer - and a smart home will always be viewed as an excellent investment.
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