You love your smartphone and can’t live without it. Imagine if you also had a smart home, too. Like your house. It’s not technology of the future, but it’s here today. Smart Home Security, appliances, lighting, and other gadgets are available to make your life easier and safer.

Below, find nine reasons why you should turn your regular house into an amazing, helpful, smart home.

9 great Reasons You Need A Smart Home

1)  Who Left The Stove On In Your Smart Home?

Have you ever set off the smoke detector when cooking? Those hardware store smoke detectors seem to be very finicky, particularly when you’re baking a cake… or boiling water. But what happens when you get a call and dash out the door forgetting the stove or oven are on.

Modern smoke detectors that work in conjunction with a “Smarter Alarm Panel” can warn you and the fire department that your smoke detector is going off.  Another great feature is that it can also shut off your HVAC system automatically using companies like Alarm.com so that the smoke in the kitchen is not recirculated throughout your home. These loud alarms can also be disabled from your smart phone when you burn your biscuits, without climbing on a kitchen chair and you don’t have to disable the entire alarm.

$500 Extra Hint:  You can also open your smart door lock remotely so the fire department does not kick your door in to see where smoke is coming from.  This saves you $500 from not replacing that front door alone.

2)  Know Your Family Is Home Safely

Video monitoring capabilities allows live-streaming from in or around your smart home to your smartphone, tablet, or desktop. You’ll receive an email or text alert if motion is detected and night vision ensures that you can even keep up with late night activities.

Summer months will no longer be a time of concern, because your smart home can help you monitor when your kids come and go during their daily routine over your smart phone.

3)  You can get the help you need

Thanks to devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, you won’t ever be on your own. These hands-free assistants respond to some complex commands and can order dinner, arrange for a ride or play your favorite mood music without jumping up from the couch.  These devices can provide verbal answers to questions important such as, “Alexa what channel is the football game on and what time does it start?”

Basically, these products are voice activated Bluetooth speakers, but you’re able to do so much more than just play your favorite playlists. Capabilities extend across many functions and make controlling your smart home much easier.  When you are running out the door to get the kids to school on time you merely say, “Alexa, tell Alarm.com to active the alarm”, and it will activate your alarm and lock the door behind you if you have electronic door locks.

9 Great Reasons You Need A Smart Home-Amazon Echo and Alarm.com

4)  Smart Phones as Remote Controls

While devices such as the Echo or Home allow you to provide verbal commands for your home, they aren’t helpful the instant you are out of audible range. Thankfully, most smart homes can be remotely controlled via your mobile device. Be it your security system, your thermostat, or even your TV, devices today can be monitored and changed with the touch of a finger. Remote control converters that plug into electronic devices enable just about any device to be smart.

Long night ahead? Use your phone to tell your appliances to begin heating water for some fresh coffee when you walk in the door to your smart home.

5)  You can set the mood

It’s movie night and you and your significant other are already cuddling on the couch. The trailers are over and the feature presentation is just about to begin, but you forgot to dim the lights. With a smart home, it’s not a problem. Simply use your phone, tablet, or laptop to adjust the lighting and even close the shades.

Hate waking up to a dank room? Schedule your shades to open before your alarm goes off for natural sunlight and a cheerful morning.

On vacation? Remotely control or set a schedule for your lighting that mimics real usage, so not even those nosy neighbors will know you’re away.

6)  You can vacuum your home (or swimming pool) without lifting a finger

Sweeping hardwood floors and vacuuming high-traffic carpeted areas can be a pain in the neck, figuratively and literally. However self-vacuuming devices, like the well-known Roomba, make cleaning a breeze. Roombas are long-running, wireless, vacuums that move seamlessly from carpet to linoleum and back again and are programmable from your favorite mobile device.

Roomba-style cleaning robots also exist for the swimming pool, making time for more fun in the sun.

7)  Live independently as a senior

We’ve come a long way since the old “Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” commercials. Thanks to modern technology, senior citizens can feel completely secure in their own homes. Options include GPS tracking, two-way voice communication, and even fall detection capabilities. So relax at home and know that you are never alone when you have a medical security system for your smart home.

8)  You can be rich (okay, maybe not, but you can save money)

Investing in a smart home can actually save you money through the following energy efficient products:

  • LED light bulbs: Smart lighting uses LED bulbs, which use 80% less energy than an equivalent-wattage incandescent bulb, according to the US Department of Energy. Additionally, LED bulbs last an average of 24,000 hours more of lighting.
  • Thermostats: Cost-efficient smart thermostats are programmable and offer recommendations on reducing heating and cooling times, thereby saving on utility bills.
  • Remote notifications: Did you leave the light on in your bedroom? A connected home will alert you if you have and enable you to shut lights or devices off remotely.

9)  A Smart Home Is A Smart Choice

A smart home saves you time and money, in addition to helping you learn the skills you want to learn, such as cooking. It will help you be more comfortable with the ability to turn up the heat before you climb out of bed or secure your house even if you aren’t there. In essence, a smart home can help make you smarter.

jQuery(function ($) { //open toggle on button click $('a.open-toggle').on('click', function(event){ $('#toggle3.et_pb_toggle_2 .et_pb_toggle_title').click(); }); });