Many homeowners in New Jersey and around the country are planning some home renovation upgrades this spring and summer. One reason is that they’ve had to spend more time at home than ever due to the pandemic, so are seeing ways they can upgrade the convenience and comfort for their family.
Another reason is that COVID stimulus money is going out to households, giving them the ability to do home renovations that may have been on their wish lists for a while.
If you want to add smart home systems during a renovation project, where should you get started? Trying to do too much, too fast can end up with wires being crossed (literally) between your AV technician, your contractor, and your electrician.
Also, if you haven’t had smart technology in your home before, going big could be too much of a change all at once, so often it’s best to start simple. You can also lay the foundations for more smart home technology to be added later as you build out your smart home network.
Why Invest in Smart Home Technology?
Having Smart Home Technology Installation like smart locks, lights, and doorbell cameras can benefit your family in several ways.
Convenience
When you use a system like Google Home, iHome, or Alexa to manage your smart devices by voice command, life is a bit easier and you save time. 57% of Americans say that smart home gadgets save them 30 minutes a day.
Cost Savings
Smart thermostats and smart lighting can save homeowners a significant amount on their power bills, so investing in smart technology can pay off with ongoing ROI once payback is achieved.
According to Nest, the typical savings for homeowners on heating and cooling from using their smart home thermometer is 10% to 15%. It also estimates the average payback at less than two years.
Home Value
If you ever decide to sell your home, having home automation systems can get you a higher price and make your home more attractive to buyers. 81% of home buyers say they are more likely to purchase a home that has smart technology incorporated. You can contact a real estate and investment firm like I Buy Pueblo Houses’ if you want to sell your house quickly and at fair offers. However, as you build your portfolio, you may find yourself wondering if you should start setting up a holding company for real estate. You also have to consider the pros and cons in starting a holding company.
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Building Out a Smart Home During Renovations
For integrating smart home technology into a renovation, the key is to start small. You can always build up once you’ve added some basic smart technology components.
Starting with just a few additions first, helps you ease into the habit of using smart gadgets throughout the day. Then when you’re ready, you can upgrade and add more now that you know the ropes.
Starting Out: Lights
A great way to start is to focus on something you turn off and on multiple times per day, your lights.
You can add a smart wall switch for interior or exterior lights, and smart dimmers for dining areas. Other options are smart light/fan control switches and simple smart bulbs in white or hued options.
Smart lights are lights that can be controlled by a desktop or mobile app or by voice control. They can save on energy use because they can be turned off remotely or put on a timer to turn on or off at a specific time or using a sensor.
Another benefit is the ability to turn them on remotely at night if you’re away to make your home less attractive to burglars.
Some of the additional things you can do with smart lights when you begin to add other smart home features include:
- Use color to announce when someone just got home
- Have lights pulse to the beat of a song
- Flash your lights or turn them red when your smoke or carbon monoxide detector goes off
Building Up: Other Smart Home Additions
When you’re ready, or for those wanting more during their renovation, you can add things like:
- Indoor/outdoor cameras
- Smart doorbells
- Door locks
- Smart thermostat and heat pump heat strips
- Home entertainment systems
- Garage door openers
- and more!
A great base system to use for controlling all your smart gadgets is Google Home or Amazon Alexa. These voice assistants allow you to handle all your smart devices by voice, so you don’t have to worry about managing and using all the individual apps.
When planning for a technology addition during a home renovation project, you want to get the help of an IT pro, like Two River Computer. We can work with your electrical contractor and electrician to make sure your technology needs are met, and smart home integrations are done in the best way possible.
