A smart home is not uncommon these days. However, getting started building a smart home can be a tad overwhelming for a beginner.
The list goes on: sensors, smart devices, cameras, speakers, and that is only the start. Building a smart home starts with getting your basics right, and if that’s what you were looking for, you’ve come to the right place.
Before you get started on setting up a smart home, there is something that must be said. Some of these devices are not going to come cheap. Electronics and smart devices can be pricey, especially for the good quality or top-of-the-range ones. There’s no need to get discouraged, though, because you don’t need to spend it all at once.
If building a smart home is really what you desire, it is okay to set it up slowly and according to your budget. Build your smart home one step at a time. Eventually, you’ll get there, and it will be satisfying to come home to a smart setup.
Wondering what the basics are that you could start with? Here are five easy tips for creating a smart home:
Tip #1: Smart Security Systems
A smart security system is one of the first smart home systems you should invest in. The safety and security of your home should be your utmost priority. Home security is one of the reasons why a smart home is quickly becoming a necessity in the first place.
Door locks, motion sensors, and cameras are among the first features you could purchase for your home first. These can easily be linked to your phone via apps. With your home at the tip of your fingers, you can monitor your home wherever you are. Get notified quickly, too, if there is motion detected around your home where it shouldn’t be.
Tip #2: Smart Pet Devices
Protecting the furry members of your family is just as important as protecting everyone else. That is why smart home manufacturers came up with smart home devices that allow you to keep a watchful eye on your pets.
Leave your home with peace of mind when you go to work, knowing that you can check up on your pets anytime. All you have to do is open the app and log in to any of the cameras in your home that has been set up to monitor your pets.
Tip #3: Smart Lighting Systems
Wouldn’t it be nice to say, “Alexa, dim the lights,” and boom! Your lights are dimmed to the setting that you like. A smart lighting system is one of the smart home foundations that you can begin investing. It is also one of the easier smart home setups to install.
With a smart lighting system, you don’t necessarily need a central hub to begin your setup. A lot of smart home lighting systems like Lutron Caestra are capable of functioning on their own. They can even be programmed to work well with other smart home elements that you may or may not add later.
Tip #4: Smart Speakers
If you love listening to music, you’ll love adding a smart speaker to your list of must-haves. Nothing like coming home and asking your speaker to blast your favourite tunes to help you unwind for the night. Let the music follow you no matter what room in the house you go to, thanks to multi-room audio.
Having a smart speaker can do more than just help you listen to your favourite tunes around the home. A smart speaker is like having your own virtual assistant in the home. Ask the speaker questions that you want answers to. Ask your speaker what the weather is like today. Ask your speaker to control certain aspects of your home, like the lights.
Tip #5: Smart Plugs
Before you start amassing smart products in your home, you might want to get some smart plugs first. A smart plug helps to turn your ordinary devices into smart devices. That’s right, your old lamps, coffee makers, and fans into smart devices that can now be controlled from your phone.
Isn’t that great? You don’t need to throw out all your non-smart devices after all. All you need is a smart plug, a downloaded app, and voila! All your non-smart devices are suddenly transformed. Some smart plugs even can support voice commands. Even better, some smart plugs can tell you how much energy you have been using over a certain period.
Many smart plugs today can easily be integrated with your other smart devices. It’s great how everything just connects so seamlessly these days. Makes it easy to create a smartphone on a budget when you don’t have to get everything all at once.
