Published on March 19th, 2017 | by Guest

Five Technological Home Improvements

We’ve all left the house in a rush and suddenly remembered that we forgot to do something really important. The coffee maker was never powered off, or the front gate was never closed. Then we start to doubt whether or not we even locked the front door to our home or turned off the thermostat.

Image courtesy of Alarm.org

We start to feel helpless, and to make matters worse, we’re stuck worrying until we get home again.

Smart homes are starting to break that cycle.

Imagine a world where you can simply pull out your smartphone, push a button and close the garage door and turn off the lights. Then at the end of a long day at work, push the same button again to turn everything back on and have your favorite song playing when you walk through the door.

Making homes “smart” has become a growing trend that’s gone from button-pushing home security systems for controlling and monitoring your home from practically anywhere.

The best part is, the upgrades listed below aren’t expensive. This means that homeowners won’t be forced into taking on structural repair loans to transform their home.

5 technological home improvements

Digital Showers: With a growing diversity of smart showers available on the market, knowing which one is right for you can be challenging. At the end of the day, however, what you go for depends entirely on the circumstance of your home’s water supply system (i.e. water heater and water pressure), your daily use, and your budget. Once you’ve got a grip on what you want, you’ll need to figure out how each shower works and which one best suits you.

Electric showers, for example, are great in homes without a ready source of heating already installed, such as water heaters (or boilers), as the water flowing receives heat electronically. This helps you conserve water and save money since electric showers only require a cold water supply to work, making them quicker and easier to install than other types of showers.

Zone based thermostat: A thermostat has a tremendous amount of power. It controls heating and cooling, the most expensive, energy-vampire system in a house. Generally speaking, most programmable thermostats have a pre-programmed setting that’s supposed to be suitable for the ordinary American family. But what family is ordinary these days? Thermostats should be adjusted according to the life you and your family live.

Programming options are based on:

Wake Time
Sleep Time
Travel Time
Return Time

There are thermostats out there that make programming easy. For instance, Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat allows homeowners to create a custom heating and cooling plans. Unlike traditional thermostats, this one has a large interface attached to it that displays a simple menu that walks you through all the programming steps.

High tech energy efficient windows: Windows provides our homes with vibrant colors, warmth, and most importantly, ventilation, but they can also have a negative impact on a home when it comes to energy. With that being said, homeowners can reduce energy costs by installing energy-efficient windows in their home. If you’re on a tight budget, no worries, applying energy efficiency to already existing windows can also help. In the long run, you’ll save between $101 and $583 a year when replacing single-panel windows.

Wireless power controls: If you want a smart home without the heartbreaking price tag, remote control outlets and smart plugs might be something to consider. This will allow you to turn devices on and off remotely from anywhere with an internet connection and allow you to save on bills. In addition to this, both can also be an efficient way to gain the benefits of home automation without the cost of converting every item in your home a smart device. So rather than buying a wireless coffee maker, you can simply transform the one you already have into a smart one by plugging it into a smart outlet.

Automated door locks: If you’re caught carrying heavy grocery bags or a child to the door, unlocking your door can be quite the challenge. Luckily, smart locks take the guesswork out of using a key by automatically unlocking the front door for you, and even have the ability to open the door for you as you approach.

Automatic door locks can also be programmed to lock and unlock at pre-set times without human interaction. Integration with panic, burglary, door position sensor and fire alarm systems are also possible to have with your automatic door locks to prevent unauthorized entry. The advantages of using residential or commercial locks include doors that latch immediately upon closing, increasing your home security.

Get started on these projects today to save money and increase your security, and your safety.

_____________

Thanks for the read. Did I miss anything important? What are some other technological home improvements homeowners can do that will turn their home from ordinary to extraordinary?

About the author:

Cody Hill enjoys being outdoors, and loves watching baseball. Can’t find him online? Chances are he’s probably exploring the wilderness, or cheering on his favorite teams (Go Cubs). Thanks!

Tags: five, home, improvements, technological