In today’s world, automating your home is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. There are multiple benefits of automating your home. Home automation offers you better security, convenience, and better energy management. Generally, automation of your home will give you a better experience and save you money.
But how can you automate your home?
You can adopt multiple smart home devices or appliances to replace your existing ones. You can then connect these smart devices to a shared network. Connecting the devices to the same network will allow them to communicate with each other. It also allows you to access them from a common point.
The field of information technology is still growing. And the Internet of Technology (IoT) is still expanding and has more to offer in the future. Smart home devices are an example of IoT devices available to the public.
There are several devices you can purchase and begin automating your home. However, it can be confusing at first when you are just starting to adopt. But don’t you worry! We will highlight some of the areas you should consider automating and how you can automate.
Common Home Automation Ideas You Can Invest In
- Bathroom Automation
The bathroom is a space in our home that all household members use daily. Thus, it is reasonable to give it importance when automating your home.
Because of daily use, bathrooms are prone to leakage which causes humidity. Humidity can deal damage by peeling wallpaper and paintwork. It can also cause rotting on your wooden furniture.
The humid environment also allows molds and fungus to grow. If this happens, you could easily see mildew growing on the bottom of your modern freestanding tub or at the back of your toilet and walls.
To avoid all these, you can opt to Install a leak sensor on your taps. The device will notify you when there are leaks. You can also get humidity sensors to keep track of your bathroom air’s moisture.
- Automating Laundry
Doing the laundry can be a bit of a job. Sometimes, we even forgot the clothes we loaded. To avoid such events, getting a smart washing machine can be a good idea. The laundry machine will notify you when done with its cycle.
However, if you are not ready to get rid of your old laundry machine, you can install a vibration sensor. The sensor will notify you once the vibration from the machine stops.
- Lighting Automation
One of the first automation ideas you should consider is getting smart lights. You will need smart bulbs, smart plugs, and lighting control.
With automated lighting, you can control the mood in different rooms of your house. You can dim and brighten the lights depending on your activities. You can also schedule your lighting to match events such as sunrise and sunsets or events such as when you arrive home.
With automated lighting, you do not have to worry about switching the light off. You can simply switch off all the lights and lamps in your home from a central controller.
You should also consider installing motion detection lighting. The lights are great for security systems, and they will also reduce your electricity bill.
- Security Automation
There are an average of 2.5 million burglaries annually in the USA, and about two-thirds of them are break-ins. You need to automate your security system to reduce your chances of being a victim of a robbery.
There are several devices and measures you can employ for your security automation. The devices include:
- Get smart locks – Smart locks offer multiple methods to access your home. Some even combine multiple authentication methods such as fingerprints and passcodes. The multiple access methods eliminate the need to leave behind a spare key because you can share one-time access codes with family and friends when needed.
- Get a smart camera system– Get your security system cameras with motion detection and thermal imaging. The cameras can deter burglars and be used to identify people at your door, so you always know who is at your door.
- Open door and window sensors– These sensors will inform you about all the doors and windows open at a given time.
- Motion detection security lights – When you travel, should take your security automation a notch higher. Deploy an occupation simulation to make it look like you are home. The simulation will toggle lights and entertainment systems to mimic your family’s activities.
- Automate Your Heating System
You do not need your house to be at your preferred temperature if you are away at work. Also, it can be quite annoying to get home to a cold environment and have to wait for it to heat up. You need a smart thermostat that is well connected. The automation will reduce your energy consumption and still maintain your comfort.
For this automation, you need to link your thermostat to several devices. The devices include your door and window sensors, smart blinds, and even your smartphone. The device will also need weather updates from your local weather station.
With geolocation information provided by your smartphone, your smart thermostat knows when to start heating the house. It can also use other triggers such as a smart lock or remote access. The thermostat will also know how to deal with heating, you have an open window or door.
- Smart Entertainment
With the essentials out of the way, you should focus on your entertainment system at home. There are multiple smart speakers from Apple, Amazon, and Google for your home use. The best part is that they are also relatively cheap.
With smart speakers, you have access to their inbuilt virtual assistants using voice commands. You can control your television along with other compatible smart devices in your house they have access to. Your digital assistant can also help with your day-to-day activities and reminders.
Conclusion
There are several hidden benefits that you gain from automating your home. Home automation will help you control your energy consumption by reducing wastage. Also, you stand a better chance against potential break-ins, if you have an automated home security system.
Automating your home may be costly, but you do not have to do it all at once. Do it in phases. You can start with any of the categories highlighted above in any order, but have a plan in mind.
