Getting Your Home Ready to be Smart

Is this really an option for you?

You can be amazed and fascinated by all that entitles home automation, but it's a long road from that, into making actual changes to your house. A good thing to do is to start weighing the things that you want and need before everything. Make sure that your first Smart Home move is to enhance a part or aspect of your house that you will genuinely use, after all; Home Automation is an investment up to a certain point. So think about making changes that have a meaning, a purpose, because if you start changing things just for the sake of it, it may backfire and you will wind up spending money on cool stuff that you will never use.

The internet rules over this technology

The Internet is vital to any Home Automation project. It's like the freeway all smart gadgets use to run and communicate with each other.  Home Automation technology offers the possibility of using hubs connected with intelligent speakers used to play music. The point here is that all smart home devices use the internet for control, access, etc. The best bet here to get the best out of the Smart Home experience is to have the most robust wifi network possible at home, otherwise, a lot of frustration can be expected at home.

Have clear wiring routes

Even though Smart Home technology is aiming towards a more “wireless” side, there are still some aspects of Home Automation that require wiring, especially if you want to comply with our previous recommendation. Also, there´s no doubt that while the wireless internet is getting safer every day, wired networks are proven to be more reliable than their counterparts. This can be harder if your router cannot be placed where it can reach all of your smart devices. If going into full Home Automation is your final decision, then you should speak to a contractor and start quoting on a House Wiring project first, so your Home Automation dream has the foundation it needs to work correctly.

Is there enough power around?

A big mistake that some novices to Home Automation make is that they start changing everything to make it Smart Home- friendly, but the house is not battery powered at all. You need to make sure that the house has sufficient outlets for every Home Automation solution and you need to do this before you even start. Now, Smart Home technology is built to be eco-friendly and also some of its solutions (heating for example) are cost-effective and have a positive impact on electricity bills. This doesn't mean that other aspects won't require to add more outlets and not just the regular ones. Wires are also changing and having a few USB outlets here and there is recommended. Finally, don't rule out the aesthetics of your place, so be careful with too many wires lying around.

Always think security first

Having a house that relies primarily on the internet to communicate and transfer information makes you rethink your concept of hackers. They seem like something that can only be dangerous to large companies and computers, but it may be something that you want to protect your house against. 

Stay ahead of potential issues by having a secure wireless network. You can only imagine the perils of having a smart lock that can be hacked or be vulnerable. Of course, Smart Home security brands are on top of the game and these devices are reliable with strongly encrypted networks of their own, but still, it won't hurt to have this concern addressed. There are many available, reliable solutions in the Smart Home market; you just need to know where to look.

The Wrap Up

Home Automation is a reality that is just starting to evolve, but in many aspects, it is very similar to when mobile phones begin to flood our day-to-day lives, and we all know how that went. The technology is there, waiting for you to make a choice. Many companies offer smart home solutions that do not require installation or wiring at all, some of them you can even take with you if you move. The options are endless as well as the benefits, plus, if seen as an investment on your property, there's a huge return rate for that. Make the decision now and future-proof your house right away.