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5 Smart Home Devices to Install When Moving to a New Place

innovation

We’re looking at smart home devices to help make the most of your new place using great technology.

Between hiring movers, folding boxes, and placing furniture, moving into a new home is never easy. However, big moves are great opportunities to revamp your home with smart technology upgrades. Connected devices can pay off big in the long-term by reducing utility bills and saving you from in-home accidents or damage.

We’re highlighting five smart home technologies to install when you move into a new house, condo, or apartment. All of these devices require a Wi-Fi connection to operate, so make sure that your home has a strong wireless network before starting.

1. A Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats do much more than heat and cool our homes. By connecting to your phone through an app, smart thermostats allow you to control your home temperature from any location, whether you’re on the couch or on vacation.

Many also connect to voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple’s Siri. With that feature, you can turn down the heat with a simple voice command, even when you’re safely under the covers at night.

Some smart thermostats use contextual features such as nearby weather forecasts to adjust in-home temperatures or motion sensors to turn off the heat if no one’s home.

Others offer geofencing controls that start warming the house once you’re a certain distance from the driveway. Importantly, many smart thermostats monitor energy usage to reduce your overall heating bill. Because of their energy-saving potential, most states and power companies offer cash-back rebates when you upgrade to a smart thermostat.

Some new homes already come installed with smart thermostats, but if you’re adding one yourself, you’ll need to confirm that your chosen model is compatible with your system and wiring.

Then you’ll turn off your HVAC system, pop off the current thermostat’s faceplate and backplate, reconnect the wires to your smart thermostat’s backplate, and install the new faceplate. While this process may sound complex, many smart thermostat manufacturers offer easy-to-read installation guides with on-demand support lines to help you troubleshoot.

2. A Smart Lock

If security is your top concern, a smart lock should be your first home investment. Not only do these devices recognize household members for keyless access in and out of the house, but they also allow you to review visitors (like delivery personnel or home renters) remotely before letting them in.

If you have regular guests like family, babysitters, or dog walkers, you can assign them access privileges during specific days and times. With a smart lock’s activity logs, you can see who entered and exited the house and when.

Most smart locks are reasonably priced, and the good news is they’re a breeze to install. Many come with standard pre-drilled holes that match your doorframe. While some smart locks require you to replace the interior and exterior door handles (meaning you’ll have to completely remove your old lock and deadbolt), others just replace your interior handle—which means you only have to install the inside doorknob. Overall, expect smart lock installation to take 15 to 30 minutes.

3. A Smart Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Detector

Another serious home concern is fire safety. If you travel frequently or have a second home, you know that traditional smoke detectors are pretty useless at alerting you to house fires when you’re not at home.

Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are a breeze to install: simply remove the current detector and replace it with the new model. Then connect the detector to your home Wi-Fi and download the corresponding mobile app. Another bonus: smart detectors don’t chirp when batteries run low. Instead, they’ll send a notification straight to your phone.

4. A Smart Water Monitor

While fires are scary, insurers will tell you that water damage is a much more common home issue. Companies are starting to develop smart water monitors, leak detectors, and valve shutoffs to help you avoid this huge headache.

The most common technology in this category is a smart leak detector. Leak detectors are standalone sensors that monitor for the presence of water where it shouldn’t be–under the sink, around the toilet, or in your basement.

These sensors send notifications to your phone regarding a possible leak. You can connect leak detectors to smart water valve shutoffs, which turn off your water source automatically if a leak is detected. You can also pair your smart water valve directly to your phone and turn water on or off if you’re leaving the house for an extended period of time.

Smart water monitoring systems are a different class of devices that analyze your whole home water network. These systems use ultrasonic technology to look for cracks and leaks within your pipes and generate alerts if something’s detected. Smart water systems also track ambient temperature in the house to let you know if freezing conditions might cause a burst pipe or if high humidity suggests possible mold growth. Many smart monitoring systems connect to a smart water valve shutoff as well for total control. Smart leak detectors and water monitoring systems are very easy to install. Just place the detectors in leak-prone areas or attach monitoring sensors to the different pipes in your house. It is not recommended that you install a smart water valve shutoff yourself unless you’re an experienced plumber. However, several smart value companies offer directories of local technicians who can help you get these devices installed.

5. Smart Light Bulbs

Smart lights are one of the more popular features in connected homes. You can turn lights on/off, adjust colors, and dim brightness all by pushing a button on your phone.

The bulbs can also be controlled through an Amazon Echo or other smart home system. You can even change color based on your Spotify playlist, or sync to a movie playing your smart TV.

Besides these fun features, smart bulbs also support home safety. They can be turned on remotely to dissuade intruders while you’re away from home, or they can automatically light an evacuation route in case of a fire.

Plus, installing a smart light bulb is just as easy. Just unscrew your current bulbs and replace them with smart bulbs. Download the corresponding app to your phone and sync the bulbs over Wi-Fi.

The Best Smart Home Technology For A New Home

No matter where you’re moving, connected technology can improve your home’s safety and cost-savings while boosting at-home convenience. In addition to installing these devices, you’ll want to consider which standalone smart home products could streamline home living too.

Another great way to add technology to your home is with a smart home kit. And the best news is that they’re not as expensive as you might think.

 

This article was originally published on makeuseof.com

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