George K.
Building a smart home is perhaps one of the biggest goals in your life, well at least when it comes to modern-day living. Admit it, there are a lot of amazing benefits to getting hooked up with smart devices that ultimately make your dwelling space much more convenient and efficient.
However, all the tech work might have gotten you fooled that automation is automatically better. But let me tell you now: getting a smart home is not for everyone. So if you think you’re one of those smart chumps who deserve, need, and know how to use smart homes, then read on to find 5 important considerations before finally making the switch.
Kinds of Equipment You Need
There isn’t any one way to install intelligent lighting controls and to make smart homes. So as a homeowner, it’s technically up to you to decide what kind of devices would you want to put in your home. The most common examples of this would be lighting controls, security monitoring devices, and even temperature controllers. Others even have custom devices that meet your bathroom needs. The list goes on and on.
This freedom of choice can be a bit overwhelming at times so you might want to prioritize your needs versus wants. Do you need a video audio controller to distribute such mechanisms to various rooms in your house like in Bill Gates’ Xanadu 2.0? Are you certain that you need that extra smart light bulb just to complete the set for your house? It’s really your call.
Smart Home Device Hub & Compatibility
One thing that’s practically non-negotiable for any smart home is the smart hub device. This is literally the “brain” that connects all your devices to one integrated system. In other words, these are Siri, Alexa, or Cortana. Again the choice is yours to make but you have to consider if the devices you’re buying are compatible with the system of the hub you’re getting.
Upfront and Installation Costs
Another important consideration when choosing how big your smart home project will be is your budget. To give you a rough estimate, smart home integration could cost you at least $300 to a whopping $3,000.
If you’re part of the higher end of the socio-economic class, then congratulations you can skip this part. But if you’re an average person, coughing up even $300 is not something you’d volunteer doing, especially if it’s not really a necessity at the moment.
On top of the upfront costs, of course, you also mustn’t forget about all the fees that come with the installation of each device. You can do it if you’re a techie. But if you can’t even switch back from cable TV after watching Netflix on your LED screens, then it might be time to call for help.
Energy Consumption and Costs
Not only do you need to consider the price of the equipment and the cost of installation, you also have to note that more devices would generally mean a higher electricity bill.
Many smart home devices promise to be energy-efficient and therefore cost-efficient, but no matter how little their consumption is, the fact is, it’s an added charge. This will add up and might impact how much you get to save for your retirement fund later on.
If you’ve determined that you really want to push through with the smart home upgrade, then you have the option to look for better electric rates from a cheaper service provider.
Internet Connection Strength and Security
Lastly, every smart home system needs to be connected to a wireless internet service for you to enjoy all the benefits of the said program. This means you need to evaluate the strength of your current network provider and how secure it is, especially if safety is a feature you prioritize when it comes to upgrading to a smart home. You have to be sure that your wifi signal is strong enough so that each of your devices installed in different locations throughout your home will be able to connect to it.
Turning your house into a smart home is a worthwhile investment if you know what you’re getting into. Don’t just follow the trend, do your own research for you to maximize the advantage of having a smart home today.
