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When people think of the latest gadgets, they imagine new smartphones, smart watches, computers, laptops, and gaming consoles. But another new advancement in technology has been happening right here at home: smart home devices!
What is a smart home? A smart home is equipped with smart devices meant to make your daily life easier, from regulating your HVAC system to automatically adjusting your lighting and sound system. As more homes become "smart," more folks are seeing the benefit to smart home devices, and demand continues to grow. It’s estimated that there are more than 45 million smart-equipped homes in the US, with the market expecting to climb to $141 billion by 2023.
If you are curious to find out more about smart homes and how they can benefit you and your home's value, keep reading.
What Is a Smart Home?
There’s a lot that can make a home "smart,” but put simply, smart homes include devices and capabilities that connect with the internet, with your smart phone, or with other smart devices, to provide advanced functions. Most smart home devices can be used via voice commands, like “Hey Siri, turn down the lights,” or “Alexa, what’s the temperature outside?”
Automated smart devices handle much of what you previously had to manually do yourself. The artificial intelligence that drives these devices allows homeowners to have a better living experience.
Smart Devices Offer Convenience
The beauty of technology lies in convenience. Most Americans own at least one "smart" product in their home and are happy with the ease that comes with it. Every little interaction may not seem like much, but altogether they can save anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so in your day, as well as save you money by better regulating your power usage.
With smart devices, you no longer have to get up to turn a device on or off. Smart devices allow you to relax — they do the work for you! This added ease of use allows you to multi-task and get more things done in less time. You can focus more on the things that matter.
Smart Devices Save Money and Energy
In addition to saving time, smart homes help you be smarter with your money. For example, automated smart thermostats can detect how many people are in a room and make necessary adjustments in your heating or cooling to keep things the ideal temperature.
Because you can use your smart phone control a smart home device from anywhere, you can set up your smart thermostat to start cooling or heating when you’re ready to come home from work. A smart thermostat allows you to be comfortable when you are home, without wasting valuable energy when you’re away.
Because of these smart features, a smart thermostat can save as much as 10 to 15 percent on your electricity bill. Heating and cooling cost the most money of any energy expenditure, and the addition of a smart thermostat can rack up as much as $1,000 in savings by the end of the year.
You can also save more on your utilities with smart lights that help you decrease unnecessary usage. When you leave a room or leave your house, the smart AI will recognize this and turn lights down or off all by itself.
Smart devices can help you save water, too. Smart showers and smart washing machines can be set to use less water or run only at certain times of day, when energy is cheaper. You could cut as much as 40 to 50 percent off your bill.
Enhanced Safety and Security
Most home buyers place a premium on safety when looking for the right neighborhood in which to settle down. Smart homes can help with that too! Most security systems available today are enhanced by smart technology, providing by-the-minute updates on your home security and quick notifications of problems.
Smart safety devices can also detect fires, radon, moisture, and carbon monoxide levels in your home. There are even security doorbells that allow you to see who is on or near your property through motion detection.
The best part is, you are able to check in and control these smart safety devices wherever you are, whether you’re relaxing at home, out at work, or off on a weeks-long vacation. With the addition of a smart lock for your front door, your security setup is complete! Whether you are home or away, smart home safety devices help to keep you protected around the clock.
Smarter, Better Entertainment
Smart home devices such as smart TVs and Bluetooth offer easy access to entertainment. You can control entertainment devices by voice, connect devices together, and even control them all from an app on your phone.
If you change rooms and need more volume to hear the movie or song you were listening to, you can raise the volume via voice command. If you want to stay connected to social media or speak with family and friends, you can make video calls too.
One popular smart home device is the Amazon Echo. Like many smart devices, it's a great purchase in large part because it is also highly compatible with all your other smart technology!
Smart Homes Sell For More Money
Convenience, entertainment, security, and saving money and energy are great... but do smart homes add value to the property? They sure do! Smart homes are popular among older and younger generations, and nearly everyone places a premium on smart-equipped homes. A home with smart tech will be valued higher than the same home without it.
A smart-equipped home can sell for up to five percent more money. Smart home devices are a smart investment that you can take advantage of to increase your enjoyment of your home while you live there, and increase your closing price when you sell.
Buying a Smart Home in Bernal Heights
Getting a home involves an extensive process of planning and budgeting. Every home buyer wants a house that makes life easy when they live there, and makes a healthy return when they sell.
If you want to learn how you can find the perfect home (smart-equipped or not), don’t hesitate to reach out for a no-pressure conversation with Bernal Heights Best Realtors. Connect with us today! It’s our pleasure to help guide you through the process, start to finish, and help you make the right choices while minimizing your stress.
