Get Smart! Check Out These Smart Home Innovations

Smart home technology is improving every day, making our homes more efficient, secure and comfortable. With Wi-Fi and smart home assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home we now have more control than ever, making things possible that not so long ago seemed like fantasy. While current costs may prevent some from purchasing, with more product offerings and improved technology a complete smart home will soon be a reasonable pursuit for any who wants it.

Efficiency is always a hot topic when it comes to homes. With smart home technology you can take control the temperature, energy usage, and even the cleaning of your home.

The Learning Thermostat from Nest programs itself and adapts to your life and the seasons. It provides an energy history and usage report to optimize your climate control costs.

Lutron’s Serena remote-controlled window shades allow you to keep rooms cool in the hottest months and can be controlled from anywhere in the world.

No time to clean? The Neato Botvac scans and maps your rooms and methodically cleans your space. You can even start the cleaning from work with the available app and return home to clean floors.

Keeping your home safe has become easier than ever with smart home technology. This sector continues to grow at an alarming rate, providing us with remote access to video footage of everything that happens in our home and the ability to lock or unlock doors remotely.

The EZVIZ Mini Trooper wire-free indoor/outdoor camera makes it possible to view all areas of your home. This camera can be mounted nearly anywhere indoors or outdoors and has a 116˚ wide angle lens for a great range of view. Fully connected, this device can be controlled with Amazon Alexa. 

Home security systems from Abode and August Smart Lock HomeKit allow you to remotely control who enters your home and even track it. Virtual keys grant access to your space and provide you the ability to set time frames for visits. The auto-lock and auto-unlock features can unlock the door as you approach and automatically lock the door behind you after entry.

Another great product from the Nest lineup is Nest Protect. This smoke detector lasts up to 10 years, tests itself, and can be quieted from your phone. Synched to your smartphone, it will also alert you to any problems even if you are miles from home.

A comfortable home is a happy home. With smart home technology you can control everything from mood lighting to when and where your favorite playlist cranks up.

The iDevices Outdoor Switch allows you to control and monitor outdoor electronics and lights from your mobile device. The rain-tight design has dual outlets allowing you to control to products at once. You can even schedule the timing through their app.

While smart home technology won't necessarily add value to your home in terms of resale, it can make your home sell more quickly. According to a Caldwell Banker survey, there has been an uptick in buyers' interest in smart home technology, especially among Millennials and Gen X.

In the meantime, you will have a home that works more efficiently and provides a level of comfort that, until recently, seemed like something out of science fiction.