While state-of-the-art smart homes may still be the province of the uber wealthy, there is a great deal of technology that is available to homeowners of more modest means and even apartment dwellers. Here is a list of 5 technological upgrades available at a wide variety of price points – from the modest to the upscale.
1. Smart Locks
Smart locks like these have solved a number of age-old problems. Smart locks work with smart phones, so you can give access one day and quickly reprogram the lock to deny it the next. No more fumbling to unlock the door with your hands full of groceries. Simply unlock the door from your car, pick up your bags and walk right in the house.
2. Video doorbells
Video doorbells also work with smart phones. No more getting out of bed at 7am on a Saturday to see who is at the door – just pick up your phone and look. You can also see who is at your door when you aren’t at home. Best of all, most video doorbells have a motion activated camera. If a ne’er-do-well shows up at your door, you will have recorded video to show to police or other neighbors.
3. Learning thermostats
Learning thermostats don’t just allow you to adjust the temperature of your home remotely, they also learn your habits and patterns. If you turn the heat down every night at 9pm for a week, the learning thermostat will begin turning itself down at 9pm. If you suddenly start turning on the AC at 9am every morning, after a few days the learning thermostat will do it for you
4. On demand heating
Paired with your learning thermostat is radiant heat, which is sometimes called on demand or under tile heating. All of these simply refer to heat which comes from the floor rather than from a furnace. New technologies are making it more economical and easier than ever for companies like P.A.P. Heating Solutions Pty Ltd. to get you up and running quickly. Under tile heating is even on the rise in smaller homes, townhouses and condos because it’s not just more energy efficient, but also saves space by eliminating the need for large furnaces.
5. Smoke and CO2 detectors
The worst fear of some homeowners is to have their home burn down while they are away. Smart smoke alarm and CO2 detectors will notify you when it detects smoke or CO2, so you can call a neighbor to run over and check before smoke becomes a full-blown fire or before CO2 kills your furry loved ones.
Today’s smart technology can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, but overall is fairly affordable for most home owners and apartment dwellers. Best of all, installation on most smart technology is fairly simple, so you can install your own gadgets and simply switch them back out for the original stuff when you leave.
