March 01, 2018

A Guide to Turning Your Property into a Smart Home

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Technology is always advancing. It is always changing and it is always developing, and there is a high chance that you have already utilised some smart technology as it is. If you want to take things to the next level or if you want to do everything you can to try and get the best result out of the technology that you have at the moment then keep on reading.

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Your Hub

The first thing that you should always do is purchase a hub. When you do purchase a hub, this will control whatever you need throughout your home. Hubs that are available include the Amazon Echo, Google Home and even the Apple HomePod. If you want to get the most out of your device then having voice control is essential and all of the above devices come with it. This means that you can control your device with zero effort. If you have to constantly control your smart home from your phone then this can lead to issues if your phone happens to die and it can also cause you problems if you lose WIFI or run out of data.

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When it comes to choosing your hub, the tech giants have plenty to offer and the hub that you choose will be the foundation for your smart home. For example, every time you want to turn off the lights or whenever you want to turn the volume down for the music, your hub will be the one to do this for you. For this reason, you’ll want to try and get a hub that you like the look of and you’ll also want to get a hub that has the features you like as well. Research is crucial here, and it can make all of the difference to your purchase.

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Your Smart Home

So when you have found the hub that you want, it is then time for you to start having your fun. Smart devices can all be connected to your other devices and if you want to have everything run seamlessly, you’ll want to plan your devices out so that they are all in sync with one another. At your entrance for example, you may want to have your security cameras set up and you may also want to have a smart doorbell as well. Smart doorbells give you the chance to see who is standing at your door even if you are not at home, and this is a great way for you to really benefit from your device.

When you look at the living room, you may want to have your device set so that it can turn down the lights if you want to have a movie night and you may want to connect your television as well and this is great if you want to pause your program without having to look for the remote. If none of this stuff interests you then why not focus on the kitchen? When you have smart speakers, you can set the mood for a conversation or you can listen to some music when you are cooking.

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Your Reality

So as you can see, there are tons of things that you can do to try and make the most out of your

home and you’d be surprised at how easy it is to connect everything up. If you are concerned that you are not going to be able to do this because you are not very tech-savvy then one way to get around this would be for you to hire someone else to do it for you. When you hire someone, they can work with you to make sure that you are more than happy with the result of your smart home and they can even work with you to make sure that you can control it with your phone as well as your voice so there really are huge benefits to be had when you go through someone who knows what they are doing. It is even possible to get smart light switches installed as well, so it helps to know what tech is available before you get started.

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Your Plan

With your plan ready, it’s then time to make sure that you think about security. The more things that you have connected to the internet, the more chances you have of getting hacked. This is because every device creates an entrance for your tech but there are things that you can do to try and, lower this risk. For example, you can try and use a strong password or you can even choose devices that have some extra layers of protection. You can even buy a smart router, as this will run security software for you but at the network instead of on your PC. This ultimately means that you don’t have to secure every single device you have individually. If you know that you are moving house then you do need to change the passwords for the internet, smart features and anything else and this is especially the case if you have your bank details connected through your hub. Make sure that you read these tips if you're moving house as well.

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Monthly Cost

Some smart devices will come with a monthly cost. You will need to keep on paying this as long as you want to take advantage of the security services that are being offered. For example, you may need to pay a subscription if you want to take advantage of a smart security service or you may even need to pay a rental fee for the cameras. Another thing that you can do is try before you buy. A lot of retailers are actually trying to put out more things from demonstrations and this gives you the chance to really take a look at what you are going to buy and what you need to do in order to take advantage of this tech.

Everything feels different when it is out of the box, so by taking a look at what tech is on the market, you can be sure to really benefit from everything that it has to offer and you can even find out if it is the right choice for you.