New Year’s Resolution: 5 Ways to Make Your House Smarter

By Justin Schwartz- CEO, SAGE AV

Smart home products are becoming increasingly popular. By the year 2020, smart home automation devices are expected to become a $57 billion dollar industry.  So, is now is the time to seriously consider investing in smart home technology, or should you wait? If you’re making a New Year’s resolution to live smarter, more economically, and more comfortably, 2017 is the year to give you house and your life a high-tech makeover.

1 Energy Savings

The average household spends almost $2,000 on energy costs per year. With just a few smart upgrades, it’s possible to make your home more efficient, as well as cost effective. Forty-five percent of smart home users report their smart home technologies saved them over $1,100 annually. Smart home products from lighting (automatic timers, dimmers, motion detectors) to thermostat (programmable thermostats) control and even irrigation systems (automatic irrigation systems) offer homeowners a way to begin saving on their energy costs immediately.  A connected smart home energy monitoring system makes it easy for you to not only view your energy costs, but respond to that usage and take control of the costs. Ultimately, a smart home helps minimize the use of energy around the home, and in turn makes your life easier by automating tasks you would otherwise do manually.

2 Increase the Resale Value of Your Home

If you are looking to boost the resale value of your home, smart home technology is a good investment. A recent study by Coldwell Banker found that 64% of home buyers are interested in purchasing a smart home.  According to the study, homes with already installed devices could make a huge difference in how fast and how much the buyer might spend on their new home. In fact, 81% of current smart home device owners say they would be more willing to buy a home with connected technology in place. Not only are Americans more interested in smart home technology, but homeowners and builders have found that smart home automation drastically raises a property’s value and makes it sell faster. According to experts, adding the right smart home technology to your home or requesting those features in your next property is both worth the expense and the effort.

3 Life-Saving Features

Fires, flooding, and carbon monoxide are just a few examples that can destroy your home and threaten your life. With advances in smart home technology, you can now receive warnings that will protect you. Smart home technology can monitor fire or plumbing leaks and prevent thousands of dollars in damage when homeowners are away. Smart homes give homeowners the ability to know what’s happening with their homes even while they are not present by generating alerts to let you know there is a problem. For example, smart smoke alarms come in handy if there is a fire and you aren’t home. The alarms can send an alert through apps to your smartphone or device.  Additionally, alerts can be set if your smart devices are low on batteries, or if there is carbon monoxide in the home. Minor leaks which could potentially turn into devastating damage can now be prevented through the notification of smart home technology. In all these cases, knowing what’s happening in your home can give you peace of mind, and the ability to address problems before they escalate, all changing your life for the better.

4 Security

Personal and family security remain key drivers in the adoption of smart home devices. According to recent reports, 90% of consumers agree that security is one of the most important reasons to purchase a smart home system. With smart home security, you can arm and disarm your home even when you are not there. Smart surveillance gives you the ability to monitor live video from security cameras, as well as receive notifications if an intruder is on your property.

In addition, motion activated lights, motion and sound detectors, home entertainment systems, blinds, video doorbells and even door locks can be smart, all giving the appearance of a more lived-in feel, as well as added security measures. All in all, smart home systems present unlimited opportunities to keep you and your family safe.

5 Convenience

Convenience is one of the biggest reasons that people build or purchase smart homes. The ultimate convenience of a smart home is its ability to learn your preferences and daily routine and then act accordingly. According to studies, 87% say that technology makes their lives easier, while 57% agree that these devices save them time. Smart homes have systems such as heating and cooling, multimedia devices, lighting, electronics and appliances all communicating with each other in addition to giving its users remote access.  All of these smart home technologies streamline common household tasks.

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