Tech it easy at home
Not sure how to create a smarter space? SAMWYLIE-HARRIS gets advice from the experts
UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that smart devices are redefining our homes. And, as long as you have strong internet coverage, it’s time to reset the spaces we live in – which will ultimately make life easier. But at first glance, this can be daunting to the technophobes among us.
“Knowing where to start can be the hardest part, but with a little guidance, anyone can do it,” says Matthew Currington, technical director at The Lighting Superstore.
To help, Matthew has put together an easy guide to creating your very own smart home...
YOU WILL NEED STRONG WI-FI
ALL smart devices will be affected by the internet coverage in your house, so the first thing to do is to ensure your home has a strong Wi-fi connection.
CHOOSE A SMART HOME ASSISTANT
A VIRTUAL assistant is the natural first step in creating a smart home. With a vast range available on the market, you can select one that meets your individual needs.
Each product has its own benefits. From informing you of the weather and blasting out music on demand, to more advanced settings such as controlling the lighting and heating.
If this isn’t enough to sell you on the prospect of a virtual assistant, the products can monitor your work commute, keeping you up to date with any changes, audibly run through recipes with you step by step and finally create, edit and remind you of events on your calendar.
The assistants listen to your instructions on command and can be set up to operate many elements around the home.
INSTALL A SMART PLUG
SETTING up a smart home on a budget is easily done and all you need is smart plugs. They can turn your regular appliances into smart devices without completely re-wiring your home or buying brand new appliances.
You can then also connect your smart plug to your smart speaker, so you can control your appliances with voice commands.
This is a good way of trying-before-you-buy, before taking the plunge and swapping to completely savvy products.
SMART THERMOSTATS LET YOU CONTROL HEATING VIA THE INTERNET
SMART thermostats are not only useful, but could help you save an average of 31% on your heating costs. Easy to operate, the device establishes a schedule for the home’s temperature, according to when you and your family need it. On top of your cost monitoring, the product detects when you and your family are home, so if you forget to turn off the heating, have no fear, your smart thermostat has your back.
TRY SMART LOCKS LINKED TO ALARMS AND DOORBELLS
SETTING up smart security and safety features in the home can seem overwhelming, but can – in the end – make your life easier.
Smart locks can reduce the worry of forgetting your key with some models allowing you to operate the lock remotely through an app.
The pairing of a smart lock and video doorbell allows you to not only feel safer in the home, but also know who is at your door and talk to them in real-time, wherever you are.
They alert homeowners on their phone via an app, where video surveillance and recordings can be found, as well as working much like a traditional doorbell.
SMART LIGHTING IS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND CAN SAVE MONEY
SMART lighting is not only one of the most affordable smart home features, but they can also be quite easy to set up.
Their functions range from scheduling your lights to turn on or off at specific times, and can even make the house look occupied while you’re away.
Once put in place, you just need to connect them to your smart phone via an app, after that, you can control the lights as and when you see fit.
Most smart bulbs consume less energy than regular light bulbs, making them more energy-efficient and financially-friendly in the long run.
SMART GARDEN TECHNOLOGY CAN WATER YOUR PLANTS AND MOW THE LAWN, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE AWAY
FOR those of us lucky enough to have a large garden, it can be time consuming to manage.
Grass and plants can be fickle if not given enough TLC, so smart sprinklers can be extremely helpful for those with a lot of square footage to cover.
For those with an even bigger budget, the smart lawn mower is a new, exciting gadget that could halve the time it takes to look after your garden.
You’ll never need to worry about out-of-control lawns, as these robots self-operate and keep your garden constantly trim. If you want to, however, you can control them from your phone and track them through its GPS.