The Ultimate Smart Home Guide for New Home Owners
Smart home technology is forever advancing and there is a wide range of options available to those who wish to modernise their home with smart tech, from home assistants to fully-automated systems. Here’s how to incorporate it into your new home.
Options for your smart home include:
Smart Lighting – This may include smart bulbs, smart LED strips, Smart Switches etc. Smart Lighting enables you to create scenes in the home to suit any mood or occasion.
Smart Security – From smart locks to sensors and even alarm systems. Smart security helps you to protect and monitor your home from anywhere.
Smart Curtains and Blinds – Automated blinds and curtains can increase security and establish home routines.
Smart Audio – From standard surround sound to multi-room audio, Smart audio devices are the ideal solution for movie buffs and music lovers.
Smart Appliances – From smart machines to smart plugs, automating appliances can save on energy costs and provide smart assistance.
Smart HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) – From energy-efficient thermostats to automated air conditioning. Smart HVAC systems save you both money and time.
Things to consider when building your smart home
There are several things you should consider before investing in your smart home systems.
First, Consider your Space
The first thing you should consider is the space in which you are working with. You’ll then need to decide which infrastructure would work best for the space. If you require a central hub, you’ll need to decide where best to place the device. All while considering the range and internet access.
Choose your infrastructure
The next thing to decide is whether or not you want a wired or wireless setup. A wired system is normally more reliable, however, it does cost considerably more and does not provide as much flexibility when installing your devices.
Going wireless enables you to move your devices around at any time. You can also add new devices easily without any construction or cable management.
Both systems will require internet access, so it’s really a case of deciding how much flexibility you want from your smart home ecosystem and the cost.
What’s your budget?
The next thing to consider is your budget. If you’re a new homeowner, the chances are that you’ve already spent a fair bit of money so it’s important to set a realistic budget.
Creating a smart home on a lower budget is relatively easy. Smart home technology has advanced a lot in recent years, and so even some low-budget products can deliver great smart features.
It’s also important to note, that if you choose a wireless infrastructure, you can always build out your smart home over time, making it more affordable.
Create a wish list
Smart home devices can be costly, and there are often deals to be had when purchasing multiple devices. Therefore it’s best to decide ahead of time, which rooms you wish to automate and how.
This will not only determine your shopping list but will tell you what kind of budget you’ll need to achieve your desired smart home.
You also need to decide how many of each devices you need for each room. For example, if you’re choosing spotlighting, you should think about how many spotlights are needed for each room.
You should prioritise your list with the most important first. This will help you assign your budget accordingly and minimise the risk of running over.
Top Tip:
When choosing your devices be sure to make sure they run on the same network. There are 2 options available to you:
2. Zigbee – Mesh Network
A mesh network allows each device in the network to operate as a repeater and pass the signal on to another device. This allows mesh networks to be more versatile. They can cover greater distances and even work around obstacles.
1. Wifi – Star Network
In a star network, each device communicates directly with (and only with) the central hub. If a device is out of range of the central hub, that device will not be part of the network
Building Your Smart Home
Now you’ve visualised and planned your smart home, it’s time to start building out your ecosystem and installing your smart home devices. Here are some best practices
Choosing Your Hub – For Mesh Network
When choosing your hub you should consider power consumption, connectivity, and range.
You should also look into how many devices you can connect to your hub. You want to ensure that it can connect to all of your devices.
Install Smart Lighting
When choosing your smart lighting system we recommend using GU10 spotlight bulbs. They offer 16 million colour combinations and brilliant white light.
The GU10 spotlight bulbs can connect to your other devices and be tuned to create unique scenes that bring your home to life. The bulbs are high quality and reliable.
Why not enhance your smart lights with lamps and strips?
With your main lights installed, you can now enhance your rooms with smart lamps or LED Strips. These are ideal for creating a more intimate scene in your home. Lights can be dimmed, tuned, and altered as you please.
Install Your Smart Appliances
Smart appliances make everyday tasks more convenient and can often save you money on your energy bills.
Schedule appliances to turn on and off automatically. Popular brands such as Samsung offer a wide range of smart appliances including microwaves, ovens, and more.
You can also use smart thermostats and air conditioning units to monitor the temperature of your home.
For a more budget-friendly approach, however, we suggest using smart plugs. You can set schedules and control devices via voice command and smartphone, without the high cost.
Smart plugs can also be used as signal repeaters, allowing you to extend the reach of your central hub.
Automate Your Curtains and Blinds
Another fantastic way to automate your home is by using smart curtains and blinds. Schedule the opening and closing of your blinds and curtains and a time that works with your daily routine.
Wake up to natural light each morning and improve security by closing all of your blinds at sunset.
We recommend purchasing a smart motor or track that you can pair with your existing curtains and blinds.
This will not only save you money but also delivers more flexibility in terms of design. Installing the devices is relatively simple and does not require construction.
Finally, Let’s Secure your home
Now that you’ve created the perfect ambiance and routines in your new home, it’s time to improve security.
Smart security devices are the most popular in the smart home world. They not only make your home safer, but they offer peace of mind at all times with real-time updates and control.
When creating your security system there is a wide range of products to choose from including; smart sensors, smart alarms, cameras, sirens, and more.
Choosing your devices should depend on your budget and how you wish to monitor your home. If you’d like to control security devices from your smartphone and get real-time updates, we recommend Zignito.
