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The so-called “smart home” has long been hailed as the wave of the future, and recent trends show that the future is arriving fast. An explosion of energy-saving and connected devices for homes has now hit the market, and if you’re looking to improve your quality of life while cutting your energy bills, here are five easy DIY smart home projects to get you started.
Smart plugs are one of the simplest DIY smart home projects out there. You simply purchase a connectivity-enabled plug adapter and plug it into your regular electrical outlet. Then, you simply connect your devices and appliances to the adapter and install an app on your smartphone to control them. The end result is amazing features like smartphone-assisted plug controls and automatic lighting timers.
One of the most common applications for smart plugs is the easy setup of home lighting timers. Use your smartphone to command interior or exterior lights to turn on and off at specific times of day, or set up a schedule to make it look like someone’s home when you’re away on vacation. Just be sure to carefully research compatibility issues before you buy.
Smart thermostats are one of the biggest money-savers on the market. They feature easy installation and guided setup processes, making it simple to get started. WiFi connectivity then allows you to control the thermostat with your smartphone or any other connected device, setting heating and cooling schedules, establishing desired indoor temperatures, and turning your HVAC system on and off remotely. You’ll never have to pay to heat or cool an empty home again!
Internet-connected locks give occupants and other authorized parties keyless entry to your home. All a person needs to do is operate the locks with a smartphone interface, and the doors will lock and unlock as ordered. You can even set smart locks up to automatically allow or restrict entry to your home as soon as your car pulls in or out of the driveway.
Some smart locks are configured to work without a connected device. These products give you the option to manually enter a combination code to unlock the doors, making them even more convenient and user-friendly.
Internet-connected garage door openers solve one of the longest-standing problems people have had since automatic garage doors first hit the market: what do you do if you drive away, but aren’t sure you remembered to close the door when you left?
These systems send automated alerts to users if their garage doors remain open for a prolonged period of time. You can also set the door up to open the moment the system recognizes your car pulling into the driveway.
At the core of every smart home is a control hub, which acts like a central command centre for all your smart home devices and accessories. Amazon (Echo) and Google (Google Home) both offer market-leading central hubs, with Apple (Siri) also being in the mix.
Smart home control hubs do a lot more than just manage your devices. They also act like entertainment centres, giving you access to online music libraries and information like the upcoming weather forecast. Every smart home should have one!
I would be happy to discuss how it has improved our lives, and how it can improve yours too!
About Jethro Seymour
Jethro Seymour, one of the Top Davisville Village Real Estate Brokers at Royal LePage RES Ltd., Johnston & Daniel Division. Jethro Seymour is a midtown Toronto residential specialist with over 20 years of sales experience in real estate, marketing, construction and publishing. He has helped many families find homes in Toronto’s great neighbourhoods, and has extensive knowledge of local markets, new home construction, resale home sales, and the condo market. Living in midtown Toronto, Jethro previews many of the homes that come to market for his clients and inventory knowledge. Jethro specializes in Midtown, Davisville Village and Leaside neighbourhoods. For more information, call Jethro Seymour, Broker.