Smart Home Automation — Your Spring Tech Upgrade

How to choose the right system for your needs

There are a few things to consider when choosing an innovative home control system for your home. First and foremost, you’ll want to consider what features are most important to you – do you want a system that lets you easily adjust the temperature in your home? Or do you value hands-free voice control above all else?

Another factor is how many devices or appliances you need to control with your system. Some systems allow for more granular device management than others, so it’s essential to assess your needs before deciding. And finally, when shopping around for a smart home control system, be sure to look at reviews and feedback from other users and the cost of the various systems on the market.

Four essential systems for your Spring update

Spring is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. Out with the old, in with the new. And nothing is as liberating and decluttering as upgrading your home with the latest innovative technology. Smart home control systems can help you manage everything from the thermostat to the lights, all with the touch of a button or voice command. Here are four essential systems to help get your home ready for spring:

Smart home automation systems

If you’re looking for a way to control all of your devices from a single point, a smart home automations systems like smart hubs might be the answer. Smart hubs act as the central control for your smart home, allowing you to connect and manage devices like lights, locks, thermostats, and more.

Plus, many smart hubs are compatible with voice-activated technology, like Google’s Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple’s Homepod. This makes smart hubs even easier to control, allowing for hands-free operation and complicated, multi-device commands. For example, if you’re leaving home, you could say, “Alexa, I’m leaving.” Your smart hub system will then turn off the lights, lock the doors, and set the alarm. Allowing you to secure your home without the “did I lock the door” routine when you’re five minutes into your journey.

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Smart lighting

If you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to update your home for spring, then smart lighting might be the way to go. With intelligent lighting systems like those provided by Lutron, you can easily adjust the lights in any room of your home with the touch of a button or voice command. And best of all, these systems can be controlled individually – making it easy to set specific timers and schedules for individual rooms or areas. Plus, many intelligent lighting systems work with other devices in your house, like blinds, curtains, or light sensors, allowing lights to be switched and dimmed depending on daylight levels.

Lutron lighting is one of the most popular brands of smart home control systems, and for a good reason. Lutron offers a wide range of products that are compatible with voice-activated technology. Their systems are some of the most user-friendly on the market, with an intuitive app that makes it easy to control your lights from anywhere in the world.

Audio systems

There’s no denying it, smart audio systems are all the rage right now, and they’re the perfect upgrade this Spring. With products like the Sonos One and the Amazon Echo, you can control all the music in your home with just a few voice commands. They’re portable, but they’re not waterproof, and they produce a great sound, but they’re not the best on the market. Instead, using a smart audio system that links with a wide variety of speakers is likely the better option if you want to bring your audio outside.

Using a more interoperable system, you’ll be able to control the cinema speakers, the invisible kitchen speakers tucked away in your ceiling, and the waterproof and hard-wearing outdoor speakers hidden in the flowerbeds all from a single device. You can have them play the same music in sync. Or, have them all running individually, so everyone can enjoy their music, wherever they are. By opting for professional speaker systems with smart controls, you can get high-quality sound without sacrificing any functionality.

Home networks

A reliable and fast home network is essential to truly take advantage of the smart home technology available to you. Many of the devices that make up a smart home – like smart lights, thermostats, and door locks – require a constant internet connection. If your home network is slow or unreliable, you might struggle to control your devices.

There are several ways that you can improve your home network. One is to upgrade your router. If your router is more than a few years old, likely, it’s not capable of handling the amount of data that your devices are now using. Another is to add range extenders or mesh systems, which can help to extend the reach of your WiFi signal and eliminate dead spots in your home. 

However, the most comprehensive solution for all of these problems is installing a structured home network through ethernet data cabling and enterprise-grade level networking equipment. By installing ethernet cabling, you remove the physical barriers – like concrete walls and foil-backed plasterboard – and provide the network with a ‘hardwired’ route back to the internet.

Is smart home technology right for you?

While there are several clear benefits to upgrading your home this Spring with smart technology, it’s essential to consider whether or not it’s the right choice for you. If you like having the latest gadgets and technology, are looking to simplify routines, and want to enhance your day-to-day activities, then a smart home system is likely the perfect fit.

Element29 can help to declutter and upgrade your home this Spring. We specialize in installing smart home control systems and can provide you with expert advice on the best products for your needs by suggesting advanced tech without any jargon. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you get your home ready for Spring.