Smart technology has been one of the biggest aspects of homeownership over the past decade. From monitoring your home’s comfort levels to ensuring you and your family’s security all the way to saving money on your electric bill, the smart home has become a ubiquitous part of the American home.
To better understand the rise of the smart home, we need to outline some of the benefits and functions of what a smart home is capable of.
Voice Command
Perhaps the most convenient part of a smart home is the ability to command all of the things in it just by saying, “Hey Google.” Smart homes are capable of voice command and can be controlled all from the comfort of your couch, your office, or from your cozy bed.
Voice command isn’t a necessity in a smart home, and if you choose to avoid having smart “listening” devices, then you can absolutely control your smart home from either your phone or a hub device. While it is nice to have a smart speaker in your home to play music or give you the news and weather, you can go without it if you’re not comfortable with the technology or just want to keep your smart home simpler.
Control of Everything
Probably the biggest single draw for any homeowner into the smart home realm is the ability to control virtually every aspect of your smart home. Most manufacturers are making virtually all of their devices compatible with smart home controls from Google, Amazon, and Apple to name a few, but smart devices such as plugs and lights can be added to control analog devices such as lamps, lights, and switches.
This level of control gives homeowners the ability to turn on lights, televisions, and music at the touch of a phone or voice command.
Energy Savings
Another huge draw to smart homes is the energy savings that come with implementing smart devices. With virtually any smart home control from the major manufacturers, homeowners can set routines and timers to control lighting use and even monitor energy consumption. Some smart devices have the ability to monitor amp draw and wattage use for individual appliances and limit that use based on user inputs.
Additionally, by using a smart thermostat to control your home’s air conditioning and heating system, you can save energy and fuel by making adjustments to your thermostat while away from home. Forget to turn off the lights when you left? Turn them off from your phone or set up a routine to turn them off automatically at a specified time.
Smart Home Buying
Buying a smart home is something that you’ll need to be aware of when searching for a new house. While most older homes can be equipped with smart technology well after the fact, more and more modern homes are being built with smart technology in mind. Depending on how much you want to embrace smart technology may depend on what kind of home you buy.
Buying a smart home doesn’t have to be difficult, so at Tidewater Mortgage Services Inc, we’ve made it easy to apply for a line of credit online. Apply today and you can get qualified in as little as 24 hours!
