The lights are on, the coffee is made, and you can see video of the baby asleep in the nursery…and you haven’t even gotten out of bed yet.
Home automation can turn even the dumbest of homes into smart ones with the endless possibilities it can offer. You’ll feel like you’re in an episode of The Jetsons just standing in your kitchen.
BriteBox can help you create the smart home you’re looking for, with a free home-estimate to get things started. But before you launch that new smart home idea, here’s a checklist of what every great smart home should have.
Remember “The Clapper?” Well, smart lights take things even further, letting you control them from your smart device. You can choose from bulbs, plugs or switches.
Smart bulbs connect to your home network and work just like regular LED bulbs. They are easy to install and the least expensive option for smart lighting.
Smart plugs are plugged into outlets, and then your lamps are plugged into that. These plugs can also be used for TVs, stereos and small appliances. Some more advanced models can even monitor electricity usage.
Smart switches replace your old light switches and are hardwired into your home, which requires professional help. With smart switches, you can control ceiling fans and other light fixtures that are hardwired with your smart device, or you can use the manual switch.
Now that you’ve got control of the lighting in the room, next you can take control of the temperature. Smart thermostats allow you to schedule when the temperature should change in the house, either by time or automatic triggers, like when you set the security system before you go to bed. You can also control the temperature from an app on your phone, just like the smart lights.
Some models can even “learn” your schedule and determine the best settings for your house. Since you won’t have to worry about forgetting to adjust the temperature before you leave for work each day, you’ll save time and money.
Before purchasing a smart thermostat, make sure it will work with your current heating and air conditioning unit and other smart devices.
A home voice assistant lets you yell at your electronics and finally get results from it. These devices can be paired with other smart devices in your home, so you can control your home just by verbal commands. Tell your assistant to turn off the lights, read you the news or turn up the volume on the TV (since you’re always losing the remote).
Don’t fret about your family forgetting their keys with smart door locks. You can lock or unlock your doors from anywhere with your smart device. You can let your kids in the house when they get home from school, or you can lock the front door while you’re lying in bed, because you forgot to do it before you went upstairs and got in bed.
And if you can’t remember if you shut the garage door, don’t worry, there’s a device for that, too. You can get a text when your garage door is open and no one is home, and then close it right there from your phone.
You can put security cameras inside and outside your home and monitor it from anywhere using an app on your smart device. Put one at the front door to check for packages and unwanted visitors, or put one in the nursery so you can check on the baby from the other room without disturbing them.
Cameras come with a variety of different features, including infrared (night) vision, HD recording and motion capture recording. Once you find the model that’s right for you, you can pair it with your smart home network.
Home automation is easy with help from BriteBox. Our techs create a custom system to meet your needs. Schedule your free in-home estimate today and become the smartest home on the block.
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