The real estate industry has seen tremendous growth in the past few years as smart house technology has found its niche in the market. The main reason for the development of smart homes is the rapid increase in the use of applications.
Nowadays, people are more conscious about security concerns and have a need to access their homes while they are away from home. Hence, the need for smart home devices is proliferating.
Moreover, having a smart home system would enhance its sales and market value. It does make a property stand out and makes a favourable impression on those eyeing real estate. Therefore, smart homes are going to be a boom to the real estate markets. And, they sound good to both the builder as well as the buyers. Let’s explore what exactly is smart home, what are the smart home devices, and how are they beneficial.
Understanding Smart Home
A smart home is a convenient home arrangement in which one can automatically control one’s appliances and devices remotely through mobile or other interconnected devices from wherever with an internet connection. The internet-connected smart home devices enable the user to remotely manage home functions like a home theatre, home security access, temperature, lighting, and more.
In short, the emergence of smart home technology provides users greater control over the functioning and interaction of their everyday devices.
A smart home is essential because it enables households to become more energy-efficient. Additionally, it enables households to save time and complete duties more efficiently. A smart home is essential due to its convenience over conventional methods of completing tasks.
Having a smart home technology system is convenient for homeowners. Instead of using multiple devices to control gadgets, thermostats, lighting, and other features, homeowners can use a single device, typically a smartphone or tablet.
How Does A Smart Home Work?
The smart devices in a household are interconnected and controlling appliances is all possible from a central location, such as a tablet, mobile device, or laptop. One home automation system can control door locks, thermostats, televisions, home monitors, cameras, lamps, and even appliances like the refrigerator. So one must install the automation system’s companion app to control the smart home gadgets. Next, the user can set timeframes for the implementation of specific adjustments.
Smart home appliances are equipped with self-learning capabilities to learn the homeowner’s routine and make necessary adjustments. Smart homes with smart lighting control enable homeowners to lower energy consumption and save money on energy costs. A few home automation systems notify the householder if motion occurs in the home while they are away. In contrast, other major smart home brands contact the police or fire department in an emergency.
Once connected, features like a smart doorbell, smart security system, and smart appliances become part of the Internet of Things (IoT), a network of physical objects that can collect and share electronic data.
Common Devices In A Smart Home
Smart home products range from light switches and doorbells to entertainment systems (such as smart speakers) to home security systems (such as cameras and alarms) to warning devices (such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors) to key household appliances and other smart home devices. At present, the market has numerous smart home systems to choose from.
Smart Home Features
1. Automatic lighting
In this feature, a user can choose the activation of the lighting settings. A user can work according to his suitable timings and can select at what time of the day the lighting will get activated. Even if the user is away, lights will be activated by speaking into a Bluetooth headset. It could be for a specific part of the apartment or the entire apartment, as per the settings chosen by the individual.
2. Security
A security system is highly preferred by the users who are away from their home for long. A home security check app is available to keep an eye on the apartment. It includes technology of handprint detection or using a key code to open the condo doors. If someone other than the user tries to open the door with the wrong key code or handprint, it alarms the user and warns him or her of a movement near or in the apartment.
Apart from this, the smart home technology also features security cameras, including outdoor and indoor security cameras that can continuously monitor your premises. Numerous modern smart security cameras include a very beneficial infrared night vision function. In addition, some offer local and cloud storage, automatic motion monitoring, and compatibility with all of the primary voice assistant platforms like Google Assistant, Siri, etc.
Also, there are pet cameras that you can install in your property to monitor your fur babies when you are not at home.
3.Temperature
Under this feature, a user is enabled to control the temperature of an apartment via an automated means of technology. One can adjust the temperature settings as per the natural weather conditions. If the outside temperature drops below a certain predetermined level, the sensor will adjust the home temperature accordingly and keep the home warm as per the owner’s standing information set on the sensor system.
The most important smart home device that serves the purpose are smart thermostats. In addition to the comfort of wireless control through your smart device, numerous of today’s intelligent thermostats provide energy-saving features, such as understanding your routines and automatically adjusting the temperature to increase your home’s energy efficiency. An example would be to automatically turn off the thermostat when you leave for work. Many of us neglect to turn down the thermostat before leaving in the morning or are uninformed of the energy that can be saved daily.
4. Gadgets and appliances
These days, with advanced technology, a user can control the power supply to all the electronic appliances in an apartment. Supposing a condition where the user has mistakenly left an appliance on a stand-by mode, the smart technology will supply links to the user and save the energy to be used. Therefore, it helps a user having a large apartment to save power and time.
5. Entertainment
Smart technology hasn’t left the entertainment factor behind either. A smart home can have a feature to provide entertainment to the user if he or she has a long day. One can just with a few simple clicks on the app. One can select their favourite music or a movie to be downloaded and keep it ready to be played once they are back from work. Hence, it helps the person in easing out things and has been proven to be relaxing as well as a stressbuster to the users.
Further, you can consider having a smart speaker. A smart speaker can be a wonderful bedside companion. Imagine the Amazon Echo and the Google Nest Mini, for example. They will not take up your nightstand, and you can use your voice to set alarms, stream music, monitor the weather, and manage other supported smart home devices.
6. Phone verification
A smart home has upgraded to technical support where a home-based system can be configured to a mobile phone while the owner is away. A system is required to have a user’s mobile phone name as well as the model number. It enables the user to use any electronic appliances that he or she may wish to have.
7. Wake up system
Under this feature, a home-based smart system allows the user to select the wake-up time and sounds of one’s choice to have a great start to the day. (1) It helps the user to be tension free and always doesn’t need to be reminded regularly to set up the alarm manually.
8. Smart lighting and Smart Switches
Smart lighting and controls allow you to operate the lights (and other electronic items) in your residence from any part of the world using a smart device and an app (assuming you can connect to a Wi-Fi network). There are smart lighting systems that enable you to control individual light bulbs or entire lighting sets.
One of the simplest and most affordable methods for improving your living room is replacing conventional incandescent bulbs with app- and voice-controlled smart bulbs. After the upgrade, you will never again have to leave the sofa to flip the light switch since you can give voice commands to get the task done. In addition to providing greater convenience than conventional bulbs, smart lights consume less energy and last longer, meaning they can save you money over time.
Amenities Provided under Smart Home Condos
1. Smart locks
All the residents are keen towards the safety of the apartment while they are away. Smart locks provide security to residents as they have remote access of the staff when they enter or exit the apartment. Additionally, smart door locks also provide warning signals to the residents whenever the door is opened, allowing them to call for help at a timely manner.
2. Resident Mobile app
It is one of the most desired amenities of clients as it integrates residents to the property manager or the owner of the apartment. With just a click of a button, residents can manage their rent payments or utilities in use. It is kind of a reminder tab which makes residents’ lives easy.
3. 24/7 Wi-Fi service
Wi-Fi is a kind of a mandatory necessity for all the apartments in the global era. Clients these days search for apartments with pre-installed Wi-Fi services so they don’t have to get it from a carrier, and it is easy and reliable. Such service makes residents live hassle-free, especially since setting up a Wi-Fi connection manually could be tedious and time-consuming.
4. Voice control
Technology is enabled for residents where they can simply over voice command control the appliances in the apartment. Voice control has gained a lot of popularity recently as people are being used to using Amazon Alexa which works greatly to access information.
5. Community event-sharing
The smart apartments offer a technology where there is no need for pamphlets or flyers. There is an in-built technologies man in-house resident can create events and reminders are automatically sent to the members. It’s a good way to build a sense of community among residents, resulting in more friendships.
6. Maintenance requests
There is a facility of automated maintenance available too. Requests are sent to residents through the resident app. This smart technology provides a stress-free life to the residents as timely reminders are sent. Hence, it saves time for the manager to constantly remind residents of maintenance and other related payments.
7. Instant payments
Under this feature, residents can make instant payments via the resident app. Instant payment helps the residents save time as well as saving on extra dues or penalties.
8. Ride-sharing
Residents are provided with pick up or drop off locations. At times, companies like Uber can’t find locations that the in-house sharing provides as a useful facility to the residents of large apartment complexes.
Smart House System
1. RF-based home automation
Under this RF technology, it is used to develop smart home automation. It consists of an RF transmitter and receiver. It uses 8501 series microcontrollers through which command signals are transmitted through the transmitter post-encoding command signals. The end receiver then can decode the encoded command signals. The decoded command signals are sent to the microcontrollers which are further seen as a command to operate.
2. Arduino based home automation
Under this, the Arduino based system consists of a receiver end and transmitter end. Hereby, the board and Bluetooth device is configured to a cell phone sending on or off command signals. It mainly works well with Bluetooth only. Here’s everything you need to know about this technology.
3. Automation under Wi-Fi via Android apps and smartphones
Under this, the electrical appliances are controlled over the internet. The command sent by phone is received by the Wi-Fi module and sent to 8051 microcontrollers. Hence, electrical loads are controlled, and end results are displayed over the screens.
4. Digital control home automation
Under this system, automation is done using a landline connection. It doesn’t use microcontrollers but uses dual tone multiple frequencies to receive commands from a landline phone to get an output. Thus, by using this electrical appliance can be turned on or off from anywhere.
Need for Constructing Smart Homes to Builders
1. Increase in sales
In the smart technology generation, all clients look for an easy life that provides a high-end luxury living. Smart home automation enables residents to control home security, power supply management and save time. Hence builders and developers with smart home automation projects are go-to choices for the new generation which leads to increased use in their sales.
2. Survival and growth
For any firm it is mandated to be updated with the technological advances. The technological advances include homes having inbuilt Wi-Fi and 4k televisions streaming high definition movies. Thus; to survive in the competitive era a builder needs to evolve with technology.
3. Avoid rework
It helps to avoid rework to the clients, as under any circumstances clients will have a smart home so to avoid unnecessary rework it is better to provide inbuilt home automation.
The Need For Smart Home Ecosystem
Smart home devices must be able to interact with one another to function together efficiently. Regrettably, manufacturers of competing brands frequently employ languages that differ. Yet, some smart home platforms accommodate multiple protocols, fortunately. Hence, this allows an array of smart home products, regardless of whether they are manufactured by various manufacturers, to effectively communicate with one another and function as a cohesive unit within the context of a smart home.
Pros of Smart Home Automation
1. Quick and easy to lock and unlock doors
Under this, automation provides utmost security to one’s home against the risk of burglary or theft. There is not a major problem even if home keys get lost as under smart home automation one can open or close the door without being physically present there.
2. Energy saving tool
As these days use of the electrical appliance seems way too much at times, in a rush, one forgets to switch off the gadgets or even lights. But, with the smart home system, one can ensure to save energy and turn the machines or devices immediately.
3. Customisation
Residents can customise smart houses as per their convenience. It refers to customising sensors or thermostats as per the needs of the residents. You can do it from anywhere with just a click on a phone.
4. Easy
Handling home automation is easy and is an advantage to the users as one can control or command over the system easily without any difficulty. However, one doesn’t need to be a tech-savvy person to understand all of it.
5. Property value rises
If a resident or owner wants to resell the property, he/ she might get a very high price for having an upgraded house with all smart home features.
6. Stress-free living
Smart home automation provides peace of mind to the residents as one can control the working of appliances in the house even if one is away from the apartment.
7. Eco-friendly
The automation tools used are eco-friendly and don’t pollute the environment as they act as energy-saving tools. They have customization available that help to be nature-friendly and saves resources in return.
You can also watch this smart home condo tour to get a glimpse on how the technology works these days.
Cons of Smart Home Automation
1. Expensive
Though smart home automation provides comfort to residents and has seen a great demand in the last few years, there are many who can’t afford smart houses due to its expenses. As the systems and technology involved are too high end and one needs to have a huge income to install quite often, it becomes a little less feasible.
2. Learning ability a must
A person needs to have a learning ability as technology changes. As and when upgrading is available, the policies and working changes are a challenge for non- tech people. Further, less experienced people may face a steep learning curve.
3. Too much dependence
A human mind starts acting lazy once everything you receive readily. There is too much dependence for people on technology starting from security to instant payments. Everything is technology dependent.
Future of Smart Home Condos
Seeing the growth and development of real estate in the coming years, for real estate to strive, it has to go with the demand of having smart home automation. As there are so many applications developing and getting closer to reality as new technology helps to monitor easily. In a decade or so, you will find an electronic device developed that you can connect to other devices via wireless protocols like a blue tooth, Wi-Fi, etc. autonomously.
It will make domestic life easier. Particularly looking at Toronto real estate, smart tech setting in the new trend and gaining demand the city has to provide more affordable housing as people are keen on sustainability.
Therefore, looking at the pros and cons as well as the needs of smart home automation, it depends on the buyer’s choice to install automation or not. If you have automation installed, it leads to an increase in one’s property value. Before installing any automation system, you should check various companies and decide as per the personal requirements as prices vary widely.
All companies offer some or other special features. As smart home installation seems quite popular, one can definitely go for a feedback option to choose the company, mechanism or the appliances to be purchased. Hence, smart homes provide security and safety to homes with the best smart home systems and several other smart devices. It enables the owners to view the apartments all the time from anywhere.
Lastly, do not put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify the devices or companies that monitor an apartment. Smart homes are an upcoming trend in today’s real market in a bustling place like Toronto. Visit Precondo for exclusive access to all the new and upcoming condos (including Smart Homes) in Canada.
