As you would ditch or swap your old mobile phone for a newer one, updating the features of your home with smart home technology can be undoubtedly easy. In fact, it’s much simpler than doing a massive home improvement project, plus smart home technology can help sell your property faster.
Even if the ROI (return on your investment) is good enough, the non-monetary benefits like smart home technology are appealing to most homebuyers. Thus, a lot of home sellers choose to make smart upgrades.
In 2017, a survey conducted by a brokerage consulting firm for residential real estate, T3 SIXTY, reported forty percent of real estate agents think that smart homes sell faster, notwithstanding the price. Although comfort, safety, and style have been the most appealing features within a house. However, over time, energy efficiency has become a crucial factor, especially for the younger generation.
Read on to discover what makes a home so valuable and so smart, especially if you are selling a home.
Smart Appliances
In the ROI game, smart appliances win big, presumed to have a more significant ROI than standard appliances. From vacuuming, cooking a pot roast, and making coffee, smart appliances are, without a doubt, making our lives much more manageable.
Indeed, smart appliances take things much further, exceeding the basic functionality. Say, for instance, your oven can function more than cooking meals, and your refrigerator can do more than keeping your food fresh and cool.
Smart appliances strive to be more self-sufficient, and efficient, communicating through devices such as Alexa, or the internet and also, diagnosing problems or errors. One of the significant benefits or advantages of smart appliances is the convenience it brings.
For example, when you have your hands full, you can just say, “Alexa, preheat the oven.” Moreover, you can make use of your smartphone to check the contents of your refrigerator, how long will it take for your dryer to dry your clothes, or begin vacuuming the floors. There are ways to smarten literally every room in your home.
Smart Home Security Camera
In smart home technology, home security and video is the fastest-growing sector. Take note that one of the significant advantages or perks of a smart home is the capability to know or determine what is going on when you are not physically there.
When selling a home, most homebuyers would undoubtedly look for security. Thus, having a smart home security camera like Tend Secure Lynx Indoor Camera is ideal. But make sure to read any Indoor Camera review online to ensure that it’s the best option for your home and the potential buyers.
Whether you are checking in on your jewel collection, pets, or kids, a home security camera is an excellent tool for monitoring things from afar. Even if capabilities differ from device to device, security cameras enable you to see what is going on in your home via recorded video or live.
However, keep in mind that not all security cameras are made equally. Some can send you alerts on your phone when they notice activity, some have alarms, and some provide two-way audio.
Smart Hub
Smart hubs can manage music, lighting, appliances, thermostats, and more, plus the happenings on any connected device. For people planning to sell their homes, having a smart hub in the property listing is a surefire way to grab attention.
Take note that a smart hub becomes the centerpiece or focal point of any smart home. It conveys signals from your devices. Thus, allowing you to control or manage everything from one application.
In that way, you do not have to juggle a lot of different applications to leverage your technology. There is no one best smart hub, and the market is pervaded with options. However, when it comes to accessibility, compatibility, and appeal, three possibilities stand out. These are Google Home Max, Amazon Echo Plus, and Samsung SmartThings Hub.
Smart Lighting
This smart feature is one of the well-known and prominent listings of smart technology. Smart lighting is an excellent way to add energy efficiency, convenience, elegance, and ambiance to a home. It includes products like smart bulbs, smart switches, and smart outlets.
Some of the best options on the market today are remote control dimmer switches and remote control dimmable LEDs. Dimmer switches have been present in the market for a long time. However, until now, it requires you to control the switch’s level physically. Today, there are a lot of products available that lets you control the level of lighting through your phone or tablet.
Aside from the dimmer switches, there is a lot of remote control dimmable LEDs available today as well.
Smart Locks
Out of all the smart home devices offered today, smart locks are probably some of the chief problem solvers, particularly with regards to day-to-day nuances. Do you often forget your keys? Well, no problem. Do you need to unlock the door to let in a service provider or a friend? It’s easy and straightforward.
Image credit: Nuki Smart Lock
Do you usually forget to lock the door before sleeping? Do not worry! Smart locks are the solution to these dilemmas. With this smart feature, you can deal with all of these with a simple tap of a button or voice command, providing your peace of mind, automation, convenience, and security. However, the problem is which product is best for you?
Choosing the smart lock for your home relies upon several things. For some people, user code limits and scheduling will be paramount. Others would prefer having a door lock that can be retrofit is a must-have.
Smart Shades
Thanks to smart blinds, you could wake up every day and roll out the blinds before crawling out from the covers. Smart shades or blinds are nothing new to home design. However, the light-blocking window treatments have gone through a quick and convenient update over the years.
Just like any regular treatments, smart shades provide privacy, let you control the amount of natural light entering your home, and might offer some aid in lowering your energy bill by hindering heat from the sun.
Moreover, like regular window treatments, smart shades arrive in different designs, fabrics, and styles. What makes smart shades apart from conventional window coverings and blinds is how you manage them. You do not have to twirl a wand or pull on a cord to open and close smart shades. All you need to do is to let any home automation platform like Alexa deal that for you.
Well, do you actually need this smart feature to boost the value of your home? Need is a strong word. However, the new benefits of being able to manage your shades and blinds without lifting a finger might be enough to entice you.
Smart Smoke Detectors
Smart smoke detectors are intended to boost effectiveness and lower maintenance of the alert system of your home. The advantages of smart smoke detectors from regular monitoring devices include mobile notifications, smart alarms, low battery alerts, automatic self-testing, and can be silenced via your phone.
When choosing a smart smoke detector, look for something that detects both carbon monoxide and smoke. In this way, you can monitor both threats, whether you are away or at home. Additionally, it gets rid of the need to maintain and check two monitors frequently.
Moreover, make sure that the product you choose is safety and performance certified. Lastly, be sure to perform self-check now and then to be wary of any defunct in your detector.
Smart Sprinklers
When it comes to choosing smart home devices, determining whether you need them or not is a matter of liking and priority. For some, getting up and flipping off a light switch is better rather than getting your smartphone and performing the same thing with an application.
However, multiple categories provide a lot of benefits, that they are worth the update for all. Take smart thermostats, for instance, and their ease-of-use and energy savings. Smart sprinklers belong in this kind of home upgrades category.
Smart Thermostats
This smart feature does more than automate a fixed cooling schedule and heating schedule. Smart thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature of your home whether you are on vacation, at the grocery store, or sitting on the couch, anywhere your mobile phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network or a cellular network.
A lot of smart thermostats also work with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa as well. Thus, offering you another way to fine-tune your thermostat settings without standing directly in front of it.
Smart Home Takeaways
These smart home upgrades would, without a doubt, increase or boost the value of your home, which is an excellent advantage if you plan to sell your home. For many homebuyers, never having to worry about leaving their home while on vacation is worth the price of installation.
Homebuyers love smarthome and energy-efficient upgrades, these are the extras that really set a listing apart from the competition.
With smart home upgrades now affordable and accessible, homes without these devices are taking a backseat in the real estate market. So, if you are planning to sell your house, move to smarter, better, and bigger homes.
Author’s Bio:
Tyler Pack is a content marketer, who has been consistently writing about real estate consultancy, home remodeling, smart home technology and security, cybersecurity, and lifestyle. When not in front of any back-lit devices, he dabbles himself in various social gatherings.