How to turn your home into a smart home

It’s 2021 and technology has never been more advanced (obviously). But are you taking advantage of what’s out there, or do you even know what’s available? We’re not talking about adopting your own fully-fledged robot, but smart home gadgets and systems that can make everyday life easier and less of a hassle.

Looking to find out a little more about what a smart home is and how to turn yours into one? We’ve got the awe-inspiring list of smart home systems you can integrate into your home today.

Smart lighting? That’s a bright idea

One day, light switches will be relics and future generations will be looking back bemused at all those who stuck with having to manually turn lights on and off. Why did people choose the chore of leaving the sofa over the ability to command lights to turn on and off, from wherever they were? Because that’s exactly what you can do today, and that’s not all you can do.

Integrated with smart home systems like Alexa, you can instruct smart light bulbs to change colour and vibrancy. Every room can have a different ambience with pretty much any colour you like. You can even dim lights and change intensity through pinpoint percentages - “Alexa, bedroom 60%”.

Smart home security you can install yourself

Today, our home burglar alarms can do so much more, if they’re smart that is. In the wireless vs wired alarm systems battle, the wireless home security alarm is coming up trumps. With quick installation that homeowners can set up themselves and intelligently linked systems, sensors and apps, the smart home security system is providing outstanding overall protection. So, what can they do?

Wireless security cameras

No matter where you are - at work or out for a meal - you can check in on your home through smart surveillance directly linked to your smartphone via an app. Not only does it give you peace of mind, but the smart home security camera also helps with verification and investigations of any intrusions.

Smart sensors

This is where home alarms have become so much more than a warning siren. Linking with smart alarm sensors, you can have a smart home security system that detects smoke, freezing temperatures, water leaks, glass breaks, as well as intruders. This makes it so you can stay ahead and better protect your home and family by being alerted of potential scenarios before they become dangerous. And if you are signed up to SimpliSafe’s Pro Premium monitoring, you can receive app notifications whenever any of these sensors detect something wrong.

Professional alarm monitoring

Professional alarm monitoring for your home means more reassurance and efficiency, whether you’re at home or away. If an intrusion happens - no matter what time - and is verified with the smart camera, security specialists will call to check if you’re safe and can dispatch emergency services. And it all works thanks to the smart system. A sensor will send an alert if a break-in is detected, you’ll get a call immediately, the video system will be used to confirm a break-in to avoid false alarm call-outs, and if confirmed, police or fire service will receive a high-priority dispatch request to your home.

Smarter driveway security

More than just a driveway aesthetic, driveway gates have also become smarter with gate automation and access control. You can have more authority on who gets into your property with smart intercoms - video or audio.

Link up smart security to your home technology system

A smart monitored alarm system, like SimpliSafe, can also integrate with home technology devices such as Alexa, Google Home and the Apple Watch, allowing you to arm the system and check its status quickly.

Smart speakers and audio for your home

Google and Amazon lead the way in the smart speaker market. You can have multiple smart speakers set up in every room where you can control almost every aspect of your home. They come in a range of sizes, models and colours too. But, what’s incredibly convenient about smart home speakers is the fact that you can voice-command lights, heating, calls, messages and more.

You can also link to music apps like Spotify to play radio stations and playlists. By setting up an ‘everywhere’ group, you can make it play in every room, where there is a connected speaker device, or just stick to two rooms or one, whatever you like. Need to pause or quickly head out? It’s just a simple voice command.

Smart thermostat

Saving on energy and making homes as comfortable as possible, smart thermostats are your saviour, giving you easier control over your home’s temperature. They work by a predictive system to set the home temperature conveniently themselves through sensors. By detecting your presence, they can better regulate temperatures to focus on where people are, as well as keeping hallways and the rest of the house at comfortable temperatures. They can also be paired with smart vents for ultimate energy-saving efficiency. And, of course, with Amazon Alexa, you can get ones that change temperatures by just asking them to.

Carbon monoxide sensor

A crucial, smart home device, a smart carbon monoxide detector can send alerts to your smartphone at the very first sign of carbon monoxide or heat. You can also get a range of sensors to monitor your home’s air quality and carbon monoxide levels. Air quality monitoring sensors can also instruct systems to filter the air, or purifiers to activate.

Smart irrigation system

You needn’t worry about having to detect moisture in your lawn or garden with a smart irrigation system; they do that for you, ensuring you can water your gardens efficiently with installed sprinklers. Not only that, these systems take into account the kinds of plants you have, and you can control them through an app. Gardens and plants can look their best and be in optimal conditions with the help of an intelligent system like this.

Make chores and cleaning smarter

Bins don’t need to be touched when smart technologies can enable lids to be opened on motion sensors, which makes holding and emptying the dustpan and brush far easier. But, they can do a bit more than just that. A smart bin can also have a suction feature at the bottom for any crumbs or dropped cereal that needs sweeping in - no need to crouch down, just sweep it all into the bin from the bottom.

Not only can you get automated vacuums, but you can get voice-activated ones that can also be controlled on an app. Is there an app for everything? It seems so. By app control, you can clean your house before you even step foot inside. What else can you do before you get home? The laundry. Yes, you can get a washer-dryer combo device that can be controlled by - you guessed it - an app.

Smart plugs

We can’t forget about smart plugs either. You can plug USB cables directly into your walls with smarter sockets, without the need for bulky plugs. You can also get smart plugs that work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home so you can control devices from anywhere. You can control the on/off power through your smartphone, voice-control devices, such as lights, coffee machines, you name it - with Alexa or Google - and you can set timers for appliances to save energy.

The future is smart, and it has us wondering what else we’ll be able to do so much more efficiently in years to come. But, right now, just by adding a few gadgets that are super easy to set up yourself, you can turn your home into a smart one in no time. For smarter home security, that’s where we can help. Set up a wireless security system in less than an hour with a SimpliSafe system. Contact us today to see what will suit your home.