Are you considering turning your home into a smarthome but aren’t sure if it’s a good idea? It can take a lot of time to build a smarthome. You should have some good reasons why you are putting in the work (which could be useful in justifying to your significant other). Fortunately, there are a lot of good reasons to build a smarthome. I’m going to detail five of them for you.
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Enhance and enrich your life
A smarthome should make your life easier by handling many of the mundane things you don’t feel like doing or don’t remember to do. For example, most people have morning and night routines they do over and over, so why not automate them? Build a smarthome that slowly turns on the lights you need when you wake up. You could even have the lights start off very soft and then get brighter while playing music as your alarm clock. Have the coffee maker start, play the news, or turn on the TV.
When you get home from work your house can know that you are home. When you arrive, it can welcome you with an update, turn on certain lights, turn up the thermostat (or turn on the A/C). A robot vacuum can clean your floors while you are gone. There is so much you can automate to make your life easier.
Safety and security
Security is one of the best reasons to build a smarthome. You can use security cameras to monitor the inside and outside of your home. Take it a step further. Use a smart doorbell like Ring to alert you when someone is at your home. Or when a package has been delivered.
Lighting is a great tool for securing your home. You can use smart lights outside that automatically turn on when it gets dark and turn off at sunrise. Other security lights outside can be set to turn on when motion is detected. Set inside lights to come on and off at schedules that mimic being home when you are on vacation.
Do you ever forget to lock your doors or arm your security system? Your smarthome can automatically lock your doors at night and arm your security system. It can even make sure your garage doors are closed!
Don’t forget about safety! B
Save money
It’s quite possible it will take years to recoup the costs to build a smarthome. Cost savings may not be the primary factor in building a smarthome, but a smarthome can help you save money. A smart thermostat like the Ecobee3 lite can make sure your heat and A/C are used in efficient ways by learning your patterns. Ceiling fans can smartly be used to distribute air for warming or cooling purposes.
Other cost savings can come from reducing power usage. Your smarthome can turn lights off when you are no longer home, or when you are going to sleep. You can also cut power to “vampire” devices that constantly suck energy even when they aren’t in use.
Voice Assistants
Voice assistants add a lot to a regular home. Having your calendar, the weather, and traffic at your fingertips is great. They also allow you to play games, listen to music, function as intercoms and try to answer whatever you are curious about.
You significantly enhance the capabilities of your voice assistant when you add compatible smarthome devices to your home. Combining a voice assistant with smarthome devices allows you to control your TV, lights, security system, fans, thermostat, and so much more with just your voice.
Fun and leisure
Building a smarthome can be fun for those of us who lean towards the geeky side. I’ve learned a ton of technologies while building and improving my smarthome. While at times some things not working how I want has been frustrating, overall I am very happy with what my home can do. I also feel that keeping up with these technologies is important as they continue to evolve and become a bigger part of daily lives in and outside the home.
Building a smarthome can give you practice coding as well as learning the wants and needs of your family. Over time you’ll be proud of the automations and remote control capabilities you’ve given your home.
Reasons to build a smarthome: final thoughts
There are practical and fun reasons to build a smarthome. I’ve really only scratched the surface of what a smarthome can do. Additionally, here are the top 5 reasons I have a smart home.
If you are looking for inspiration check out the smarthome section of this site and my list of smarthome automation ideas. Be sure to check out the smarthome gear I use and our buyer’s guide if you are looking to buy smarthome devices.
Also, be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Building Your DIY Smarthome. If you want a book that will teach you all about planning and building a smart home, consider purchasing my book, The Smart Home Manual.
This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item using an affiliate link I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Affiliates do not influence my recommendations. Read my disclosures for more information.
We had a robbery this week in our home when we are out. Almost all out valuables were stolen that night. Luckily, no one was at home, so no one got hurt. Home security should never be taken for granted and articles like these are doing a great job in promoting home security. Keep up the good work!
Sorry to hear about your robbery. Glad everyone is okay. Yeah, I know a smarthome won’t prevent all robberies, but it can be a good deterrent, and with surveillance at least help track down offenders. Thank you for the encouragement.