As technology has advanced society has found ways to work smarter, not harder. From custom lighting, smart locks, custom remote systems and home music systems, the smart home market is growing. In fact, according to the industry leading magazine CE Pro, the smart home market is poised to grow 31% year over year! The future is now, invest in smart home tech & make your home or work space more functional than ever.
ALARMS & ALERTS
Make your home more secure with a smart alarm, arm and disarm it remotely using an app on your phone, use key chains for key-less entry, or even go hands free with geo fencing or a voice assistant to take care of it for you! And consider additional items that can be watched over, like what if there is a water leak, we can detect that too. Even extend protection to your car in your driveway! And your app can let you know the status if you away from home.
ACCESS CONTROL
Another way to upgrade your home is to add smart locks. The smart lock can be key-less and can be operated from anywhere via an app too.
VIDEO DOORBELLS
Know who's knocking from anywhere with a video doorbell. The video feed from the cam is easily accessible, you can view it via an app on your phone or on a big screen with some systems.
SURVEILLANCE
Adding cameras in and around your property is also another great way to keep track of everything that's going on, giving you even more peace of mind! Wireless solutions are great choices when you only need a couple cameras, or go with dedicated wired systems when you want more coverage and robustness, both have indoor & outdoor options.
Comfort Control
Smart thermostats like the Learning Thermostat by Nest are great for improving your home's functionality. This thermostat actually tracks your activity and learns to adjust the temperature accordingly. This saves energy and in turn saves you money!
AIR QUALITY
Upgrade your normal smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with the smart ones that connect to your home smart systems. Giving alarms and voice alerts sound throughout your home. You can even check alerts on your phone through the app with most solutions. The apps can also give you more control, allowing you to silence the alarm if everything is under control.
INTERCOM
With Google Hub products you can talk to other rooms with a simple voice module in each room. Tell the kids across the home its time for dinner without stopping what your doing. Or if wiring is an option, there are some great in-wall intercom option available too.
MUSIC CONTROL
Easily stream music via any major service to any room with an app, especially with top systems from companies like Sonos, you can even control your music devices or system with your voice.
SMART KITCHEN
We now starting to see the introduction of the smart kitchen as well, from refrigerators that know when you low on milk, to microwave that are voice controlled.
CENTRAL VAC
While maybe not a 'smart' device, it certainly is one of convenience, and the latest options are pretty sweet. They may not tie into your smart home voice controller, yet.... but they should still be considered part of todays efficient home.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Just imagine.. fully control and adjust the temperature in your home using just your voice or an apps- While there is not really anyone singular systems out there that can 'do it all', there are some great options that can consolidate alot of it for you. Consider eco systems like Nest products, that all work under one app. Or, maybe a smart home security combo that wraps a lot of stuff up into one simple app or touchscreen. And finally, you could go big with a fully integrated remote control system from Control 4, Savant, URC, Crestron, etc... options for all budgets are out there.
But keep in mind, even if you end up having a couple apps to work with on your phone, simply create a folder on your phone called 'Home Control' and in most cases your just a couple taps away from simplicity and true home automation, without to much fuss or cost!