With all the technology currently available in home living, there has never been a better time to make your apartment smart like now. The beauty of the new home technology available is that you do not need to make major renovations in your apartment to install it. This is a relief especially if you are just leasing or renting the apartment that you wish to “smarten.” Here are ideas on how you can go about it:
1. Smart home assistant
A home assistant is a free and open-source automation software that has been designed to control a wide range of connected devices in your home from your smartphone. At the moment, you can find virtual voice-controlled assistants everywhere and there is a variety to choose from including Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Amazon’s Alexa. These virtual assistants are compatible with almost all other devices in your home. Therefore, once installed in your apartment, smart home assistants can help you answer questions by leveraging search tools on the internet, play music, and switch on a wide array of radio programs. They can also help you switch on the lights and turn on heating in your home.
2. Smart thermostat
At times you can get so busy that you forget to turn on your thermostat such that when you come back home, your apartment would be freezing. With a smart thermostat you can turn the heat on remotely before you leave the office so that when you get home, you have a cozy space to relax. A smart thermostat offers a broad range of advantages including:
– Saving you money: The device gives more accurate readings than the traditional thermostats which saves you money that you spend on energy bills.
– Long-term learning: A smart thermostat has a unique feature that allows it to learn your living patterns so that it can predict when to adjust the temperature to favorable levels in your apartment
– Improved tracking of energy use: It is linked to a computer technology system such that you can monitor your energy use and efficiency. It also provides you with reports that allow you to use your energy wisely
3. Smart water heater
Like the smart thermostats, these water heaters are designed to study temperature measurements and preset instructions or your water consumption patterns. With this information, the water heater will know when to provide you with hot water and when to stay turned off. They are also connected to a gateway which makes them accessible through your smartphone. This advantage ensures that you never have to come home to a cold shower after a long day at work during winter because you can monitor your heater and command it in real-time. At the moment, there are a ton of heaters (such as tankless, storage, and hybrid heaters) in the market which means that you need to consult a water heater company before you walk into a store and purchase anything. These companies have experts who will guide you on which appliance to choose based on its efficiency and longevity.
4. Smart lock
Smart locks eliminate the need for you to carry a bunch of keys which will make you scramble to open your door. With a simple touch on the lock, your door will open with ease. These locks also connect to your phone via Bluetooth which also gives you the liberty to lock and unlock your door remotely. Therefore, should you be running late and want to let a guest or your child into your apartment, you can do so without you being physically there. You can also track who comes and goes into your home because the lock will send you status updates remotely. Should your phone accidentally go off, such locks come with a backup key to give you access to your home.
Conclusion
The great thing about these smart devices is that they are all portable in that you can reap their benefits when you move to another apartment. However, before you install anything, you need to speak to your landlord to find out what you can and cannot do on their property. In case you are the landlord, you should know that installation of these features would add value to your property which will make you fetch good returns. Thus, endeavor to transform your living space today with these smart devices!
