When it comes to our homes, technology can save us time and money. With every passing day, more options exist to transform our homes into “smart” homes. With a swipe of our screen and a tap of an app, we can view and control many of our home systems. According to USA Today, projections illustrate the appetite for everything from connected thermostats to connected switches, light bulbs, beds, sprinklers and toothbrushes. About 70% of Americans want to control something via their mobile devices.
What can smart home systems really do? Wireless devices that monitor and adjust a house's temperature, lighting and security systems are sprouting in homes and apartments as televisions did in the 1950s, microwaves in the 1970s and flat-screen TVs in the 2000s.
Let’s take a look at what a smart home can do. Current technology centers on three major areas:
Home Security and Safety
Cameras - Home surveillance can be serious business as you keep a watchful eye on your home and possessions, but connected monitors can also offer a simple solution for checking on pets or loved ones from your phone or laptop. Built-in microphones and sensors send you photo notices when movement is detected. To equip large homes or those with a lot of valuable assets, a hardwired system including cameras that provide higher quality images, greater ranges and wider viewing angles may be the best choice. Durable designs allow for indoor and outdoor use — day or night, rain or shine.
Alarm Systems - If you're interested in home security that goes beyond the standard surveillance camera, an all-in-one security system might be right for you. These systems enable you to stream real-time video of your home on your phone and receive alerts when activity is detected, plus it's equipped with a siren that you can turn on remotely to deter intruders in the event of a break-in.
Door Locks - Tired of fiddling with keys at the front door while juggling groceries? Simplify with a smart lock system, garage door controller and doorbell. Swipe your phone to lock and unlock your door, grant access to your home without being present, or ensure your garage door is closed even when you're away from home. Smart doorbells can send alerts to your phone when someone rings it or when its camera detects motion. You can also grant guests permission to enter your home with their phones.
Lighting
Smart lighting literally transforms the way you use light to establish ambience in your home. You can set automatic on and off schedules throughout your home, ask Siri to turn on the light, or set a timer to gradually increase light intensity to ease you out of sleep. With controls right on your phone, you can come home from a vacation to a warmly lit home - no more need for those awkward plug-in light timers. Remote phone access, sensors and timers can all help to reduce energy consumption and many systems include LED bulbs for more efficient, longer-lasting lighting.
Heating and Cooling - Smart thermostats offer terrific potential for saving money and monitoring your home’s temperature and humidity from afar. If you are installing a new a/c system, your contractor can show you state-of-the-art systems, but smart thermostats can connect to your existing system and offer easy access from your smartphone. Sensors and algorithms keep track of your schedule so that comfortable temperatures are maintained when you're home — and energy consumption is reduced when you're not. Real-time reports allow you to view your usage history. This means more comfort and less waste.
If you’re interested in putting it all together, you can transform your Naples home into a smart home, with fully integrated systems to stay connected!
