Simple Ways to Turn Your Home into a Smart Home

Using connected devices has become the norm and the integration of smart technology in the home is increasing in popularity. From cooking, cleaning, security, entertainment and everyday living, home automation systems are making life a lot more convenient. If you’re thinking about making some upgrades to the pad, check out these simple ways to turn your home into a smart home.

Get a Smart Home Hub

For starters, you’ll want to get a smart home hub that connects to all your smart devices. Amazon’s Alexa is essentially a virtual, personal assistant. Simply ask Alexa to turn on the lights, music or even ask a question. The device also has the ability to manage your alarms, jot down your shopping list and order food for delivery. You don’t have to lift a finger because Alexa’s got your back.

Turn Up the Lights

Long gone are the days where you need to physically get up to turn the lights off. Smart light bulbs have come to the rescue and offer more flexibility in creating an atmosphere with ideal lighting. Phillips Hue smart lights come in white and colors. You can turn the lights on and off from the Hue app or if you have a smart home hub like the Alexa, you can control the lights via that channel. The lights can be dimmed and colors can be changed, all remotely.

Secure Your Home in a Smart Way

Another useful home automation product is a smart security system. ADT’s home automation system provides optimal security and surveillance for your home. Once it’s set up, you can remotely arm or disarm your alarms, watch video surveillance from the app and even close your garage door from afar if you forgot when you left the house. Additionally, burglary and fire and smoke monitoring is built in and sends notifications immediately upon detection of any abnormal activity.

Switch it Up

You can make any device smart by plugging it into a smart switch. A smart switch plugs into a power socket and you plug whatever device you want to control via smartphone app into that. Some smart switches can also show you energy usage for the devices you use, which helps you maximize energy efficiency in the house.                                 

Indulge in Intelligent Entertainment

A smart entertainment system connects all your entertainment devices into one. The Roomie Remote works as a virtual remote on your phone. It combines your TV, stereo, cable and video streaming services into one place. All you need to do is tap which one you want to play then sit back, relax and enjoy.

Make Cleaning a Breeze

Cleaning the floors doesn’t need to be a chore. A robot vacuum like one from iRobot Roomba can do the dirty work. It can vacuum and even mop and entire level while you sit back and watch. You can even control it from an app to start cleaning as you please.

Save Energy on Heat and AC

Install a smart thermostat like one from Nest. It can adjust to changing seasons and times of the day in the most energy efficient way to help you save money overall on the energy bill. The Nest Learning Thermostat gauges what temperature you prefer and builds its automation around your schedule. Furthermore, you also get the ability to turn the heat and air conditioning on or off from its connected app. So, when you want to make sure the house is nice and warm when you get home on a snowy day, all you have to do is tap.

Your home can join in on the smart home movement with just a few touches of intelligence. With home automation systems in place, everyday living can become a lot easier and more efficient. The place you spend the most time should be a comfortable one, and by taking advantage of smart technology you can do just that.