In this month’s issue, Doris talks plainly about the benefits and challenges of smart home technology.
Being in South Florida, while we have great weather – we also have crazy storms and the temperatures can drop to colder temps and we even get frost (believe it or not). Whether you’re actively using your vacation home or heading back to your primary residence for an extended period of time, implementing smart technology can be helpful but it sometimes it’s good to have eyes, ears and hands ready to help in a pinch. This month our focus is on smart technology, where we talk about the pros and the cons.
In thinking about smart devices, we wanted to highlight two of the main ones we see in our clients homes.
Smart Thermostat
Florida gets hot! It also cools off during the winter, so having a smart thermostat would allow you to control the temperature of your entire home from your smart phone. Also, it can help with efficiency! You can set and forget your temps based on the time of year, that way they’re not fluctuating…just like your bill!
It’s pretty simple to replace your outdated thermostat with a smarter version, just make sure to do your research on the best fit for you, the existing technology in your home and what you travel with (i.e., your phone or laptop). Most, if not all, will have various programming features you can set your heat and air conditioning to turn on and off at certain times of day. Additionally, because it’s a smart device and you can access it remotely, you can keep track of how often the system runs when you’re not there. What’s more, if you allow guests to stay in your house, you won’t have to worry about them leaving the heat or incorrect AC temp on when they leave.
A couple of things to think about:
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- Batteries can die in regular thermostats as well as in smart devices, so it’s good to have someone from Home Watch stop by regularly to make sure they’re all running properly.
- The technology can be challenging to use.
Smart Lighting solutions
Many people like to leave on a few lights on for security purposes when leaving their vacation home. Using your regular lighting may seem like a good idea but it’s not very energy efficient unless you’ve changed everything to LED, as standard incandescent bulbs consume a lot of energy. If you can make a small investment changing those old bulbs —these types of bulbs last up to three-25 times longer and use up to 80% less energy.
To take your energy savings one step further, you might think about installing a smart lighting system. Again, there are many options out there, just do your homework before you choose one. Not only can you save energy but you can get your lights turned on before you arrive.
Smart devices are great but they’re not 100% reliable and that’s where A-Z Home Watch can help. With our 21-point checklist, we review all of things in this article and more.
Contact us today for your free consultation.
