A smart home ensures your home is always secure, comfortable and energy efficient whether you are home or away. This is the basic definition of a smart house, but there are many electrical and electronics installations that can give a property the "smart home" designation. Here are some of the features to look out for when shopping for a smart home:
It Should Automate Some Tasks
Merely controlling your home from a remote location isn't enough; the smart systems should automate some tasks so that you don't have to log into your system and effect changes all the time. For example, you shouldn't have to change the lights, thermostat settings in your house all the time; these tasks should be automated or programmable. A programmable thermostat should start warming the house at a predetermined time so that your house will be comfortable by the time you arrive. Then there are also smart lights that you can set to turn on at predetermined times.
It Should Cover All the Major Systems
There is a difference between a smart system and a smart house. Even your lighting system is smart, for example, if you can control the lights remotely or program them, you don't have a smart home if the rest of the systems are "dumb." For a home to be truly smart, the smart system should incorporate all the major systems such as security, electrical and plumbing, among others.
It Should Alert You If Something Is Wrong
Good smart homes issue alerts if something is wrong with the system, if there is an intrusion or if a change needs to be made. For example, a smart air conditioning system may alert you if the filters are dirty and need to be replaced and a smart security system will alert you if someone has broken into the house.
It Should Incorporate Redundant Features
Lastly, a smart home should have redundant systems in place so that your home isn't rendered dumb by a single failure. For example, the systems shouldn't be down if the power is out (a backup battery or generator helps here). If you have subscribed to a smart home service, your service provider should have redundant measures in place to limit the downtime.
Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of what makes a smart home and will not make a mistake during the purchase process if you are keen on getting a smart home. You can protect yourself further by making your purchase through an experienced realtor.
