Technology is at the center of things for most of us today. In fact, a Trulia survey of more than 2,000 home buyers revealed one of the top two reasons they chose new construction over an existing home was the ease of installing and customizing smart home technology. Smart home features offer a host of advantages and benefits, among which are security, convenience, and a greater level of personalization to meet your unique needs. But how do you choose from among the dizzying array of smart home technology options? To help you out, here’s some of the must-have smart home technology to add to your new Snohomish County property.
Overview of Smart Home Technology
The term “smart home technology” has been bandied about quite a bit lately, but what does it really mean? Basically, it means connecting all the devices you use in your home to the Internet for automation. “Not just computers and smartphones, but everything: clocks, speakers, lights, doorbells, cameras, windows, window blinds, water heaters, appliances, cooking utensils, you name it. . . . It’s the Internet of Things (IoT), and it’s a key component of home automation and smart homes.”
The goal is to allow you to automate almost everything in and around your home, “from window shades to pet feeders – with the simple push of a button (or voice command).” Some of these automated smart home features are fairly simple and inexpensive, such as setting lights to go on and off automatically at certain times. Other features, “like advanced surveillance cameras, may require a more serious investment of time and money.” Nevertheless, today with smart home technology, you can control nearly everything in your home remotely and automatically.
Snohomish County Smart Home Technology Benefits
Smart home technology is eminently customizable, so what it looks like in actual practice will vary from home to home and from family to family with respect to capabilities and features. But the two top reasons to add smart home technology to your Snohomish County property are:
1. CONVENIENCE
This technology provides control and convenience by enabling your devices to work together and allowing you to control them from a single location by means of a smartphone and/or a user-friendly smart home app. It becomes a simple task, then, to turn lights on/off, control temperature or lock/unlock doors with just the tap of a screen or a voice command. So when you take off on a trip, you won’t have to turnaround and go back to check when you begin wondering whether you shut the garage door or armed the security system.
2. SECURITY
Safety and security are top concerns for everyone today, and smart home technology can help you achieve that security. So the smart home technology to add to your Snohomish County property should include, according to experts in the field, a “security system with 24/7 monitoring” for “peace of mind for homeowners,” especially “in newer neighborhoods where residential construction sites often attract burglars thanks to pricey tools, equipment, and brand new fixtures, appliances, and goods.” You should also consider adding motion detectors, door sensors, and glass-break sensors, along with outdoor surveillance cameras, to ensure you have a comprehensive security system.
Top Picks for Smart Home Technology to Add to Your Snohomish County Property
Our top picks for smart home technology to add are:
SMART DOOR LOCKS
Smart door locks are one of the most popular smart home features because they contribute to both convenience and security. This is a feature that allows you to lock/unlock your doors from your smartphone and from a distance. You can even customize it to lock the front door behind you after you enter your home. You also won’t have to drop what you’re doing and run to the door when family or friends arrive.
SMART THERMOSTAT
A smart thermostat combines convenience with comfort and energy savings. That’s why they are standard in most new construction now. “The Vivant Element Thermostat, for example, uses the security sensors in the home to learn your temperature preferences, location, and local climate and automatically adjusts the temperature to keep you comfortable. When used with a home automation system, you can even control your smart thermostat with your voice.”
More Reasons to Add Smart Home Technology
If you’re not convinced yet that it pays to add smart home technology to your new Snohomish County property, consider these benefits and advantages:
- Most smart home features contribute to energy savings and help you lower utility bills.
- Adding smart home technology to your Snohomish County property will increase its value and keep it safe.
- Adding this technology also enhances your property’s saleability by making it more desirable to buyers and renters.
So if you are interested in convenience, security, savings, and increased value consider such smart home technology to add to your new Snohomish County property. Still, you need to choose the products and features that truly fit with your home’s look and feel and that do indeed meet the needs of you and your family. But with all that is available today, that may be no easy task. Your local real estate agent can help you get it right.