Smart Homes

Did you know?
                Nikola Telsa was the one who started it all for us. He made huge contributing factors to wireless transmission. His forward thinking is the foundation for the technology that gives us our smart homes. Smart homes have been around for ages. You probably have a semi smart home now. Anything technology that makes our lives even a little bit easier in our homes is smart. Some examples are the garage door opener, sprinkler system. Plug in timers for lights, or other appliances for when your away. So we have had “smart” homes for a while.

What is a smart home?
In today’s world of technology everything can pretty much be ran from your phone, to include your home. So with all this technology what makes your home a smart home? Well to start, according to Cnet.com :

“A home that is equipped with products or tools that aid in controlling functions such as temperature, lighting, security, safety, and entertainment either remotely via phone, tablet computer, or with a separate automatic system within the home itself.”

August Smart Lock
To break that down, to be a smart home the home must have certain components of the above mentioned controlling functions. First the home must have one of the following two categories, temperature or security. Secondly, it must have two controlling functions from the remaining categories, lighting, safety, and entertainment.  There are several companies out there that provide the products to make your home a smart home. For security, there are companies like August that make smart locks that allow you to remotely unlock and lock your home and if you know you will be having someone come by while you are not home, like a babysitter, house cleaner, in-laws, you can provide them with a temporary code that will allow them in. You can even make it for only between specific times of the day. There are others that provide smart locks for your home, thou it seems that the August smart locks are the popular ones at the moment.
Nest Learning Thermostat
        For temperature control, Nest makes the popular one currently with their learning thermostat. As you use it, it learns your habits as far as when you adjust the temperature and to wait. The Nest Thermostat E turns itself down when you’re away. You can control it from anywhere. Have a chilly day and you have been outside in the winter wonderland and want the home w few degrees warmer? Just adjust it from your phone before you get home so you are not waiting for it to warm up, it is already warmed up. It is kind of like preheating the oven. 
        


Nest Smoke + CO Detector
            Nest also provides a smoke and CO detector that has a voice and speaks to you and tells you what’s wrong and can even alert you on your phone. It self tests and the battery will last a decade. And don’t want to listen to it? You can silence it from your phone. Need a drink in the middle of the night? It even lights up to shed a little light on your path. Best of all, in my opinion, is it doesn’t look like a smoke detector.
          
       As for installation of smart home technology in your home I would recommend going to CEDIA to find a certified installer, if you are not the Do It Yourself (DIY) type. All the components are made for easy installation and no running wires to hide in the walls or running down the walls or along the floor. For the products that need to be wired in, they use the existing wiring and mounting points, like the smoke detectors. The possibilities for smart home technology are endless.

But what does this mean for you as the home seller? Well first off as the seller you separate yourself from the competition, making your home unique. Statics show that having a smart home is becoming more and more important to buyers, especially as millennials begin their turn into home ownership. Even the Baby Boomers are enjoying the idea of smart homes and the ease and convenience that a smart home provides. Statistics show that 81% of buyers are more likely to buy a home with smart home technology already installed. For the seller 66% said they would leave their smart home technology if it would sell their home faster. Well, let me tell you having a smart home does help and will help in the selling of your home.

Stay tuned for updates and product reviews.

Below are a list of sites you can go to for more information on a smart home and the different components.

https://www.cnet.com/topics/smart-home/best-smart-home-devices/

https://nest.com/

http://august.com/

http://www.cedia.net/  (finding an installer)



#Spokane #LibertyLake #SpokaneValley #SmartHome #Realtor





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