Who doesn’t want an energy-efficient, secure, and clutter-free home? Luckily, with the advent of smart homes and a flood of smart devices, you can make all your dreams come true.
From remotely monitoring your home to asking your virtual assistant to turn off the lights, home automation is a way to live up to a standard.
That said, you need to optimize your home in the right way. From investing in high-quality smart devices to setting up the right connection, a lot is riding on having a fully-functional smart home.
That’s where we come in! We will walk you through a step to step guide for optimizing your smart home in 2023.
Choose Your Preferred Smart Gadgets
Smart devices are your smart home’s foundation, so you must be careful in choosing your preferred ones.
You will find an exhaustive list of smart gadgets, most commonly smart lighting, cameras, HVAC, smart plugs, and video doorbells.
Home automation does not necessarily be costly. So choose your devices wisely and according to your preferences.
If you want to monitor your home security from your workplace, you need a smart security system with optional remote monitoring.
Likewise, if you want to keep your home intact while you’re away, invest in light-enabled motion sensors to turn on when motion is detected and scare away intruders.
While choosing smart devices, look for a reliable company like Smartzone so you can equip your smart home with the best-in-performance smart appliances.
Choose A Central Smart Hub
Once you decide which smart devices should be a part of your smart home, it is wise to invest in a smart hub to connect all these devices.
Though you can use your home Wi-Fi to interconnect these devices, a dedicated hub will save you money and bandwidth at home. Hub-enabled smart devices are cheaper than their Wi-Fi-enabled counterparts.
Hub is a central control station that manages smart devices, enabling you to operate them from one app or platform.
Choose the location of your hub wisely; the route should be placed in a central location so every device in your home should be fully covered.
Use Geofencing
It is another great way to make your life easier. It refers to creating a virtual boundary around your premises.
This will help your smartphone detect when you enter or leave that premises.
Sometimes, we forget to deactivate our smart devices after coming home or go out of our way to activate them.
Geofencing will activate your home’s smart gadgets when you cross the geofence, saving you time and effort.
For instance, you won’t have to arm or disarm your security alarm manually; your smart home will detect and automatically disarm your presence.
Likewise, your air conditioning or heating system will detect your presence and activate itself.
If you have to park your car in the garage, geofencing will open the garage door when your vehicle is spotted outside.
So this is a great addition to your smart home to ensure comfort, functionality, and security.
Use Voice Assistants Where Possible
“Google, open the garage door,” “Siri, turn off the lights.” Virtual voice assistants have become central in optimizing your smart home.
By having your smart devices connected to voice assistants, you can control them remotely.
If you are busy, constantly rushing around your house, these smart devices with voice commands will be a blessing.
While looking for virtual assistants to be added to your smart home, consider the price, quality, compatibility, and user experience.
Monitor Activity With Sensors
Sensors are a great source to optimize your smart home. You can monitor temperature, motion, and humidity in your home.
For instance, a smart thermostat regulates temperature based on the weather outside and the homeowner’s preferences.
Similarly, motion sensors will detect your presence and turn on and off appliances, saving you on energy bills.
While choosing motion sensors, opt for good quality sensors that deliver accurate information to deter missed opportunities or fake alarms.
Research different brands, read customer reviews, and make your choices wisely.
Power Supply Optimization
As smart devices are powered, there is always a risk of a low or dead battery.
You need to continuously monitor the battery of smart gadgets, which is an uphill task.
Therefore, hardwiring fixed appliances and devices will ensure they continuously receive power for uninterrupted service.
Alternatively, you can use solar power to charge these devices, saving energy costs. Always buy batteries from a reputable company so they last longer.
Have A Stable Network Configuration
To have efficient home automation, you must have a strong internet connection.
Every smart device in your home is controlled and monitored by a Wi-Fi connection.
Moreover, a stable internet connection is requisite to update device software.
It would be best a backup power supply, so in case of a power outage, it can replace the connection to allow interrupted internet service.
If there are multiple users and adding your home automation system will slow down the speed, consider using a dedicated network for your smart home devices.
Use IFTTT To Connect Your Devices
IFTTT(If This Then That) enables custom automation of different devices and appliances.
As smart devices from different manufacturers cannot connect natively, this IFTTT is a solution.
It connects different applications and devices, enabling robust and interconnected home automation.
For instance, turning lights off when the front door is locked, turning outdoor lights on, hearing alarms from motion sensors, etc. With an IFTTT, you will get the most comfort from your smart home.
Protect Your Smart Home From Hackers
Where connecting your home appliances to the internet increases efficiency, there is always a risk of hackers accessing your data.
Therefore, you must secure your smart home system from bad actors by embracing home security.
Besides using security indoor and outdoor cameras and motion sensors, you should practice the following tips.
- Create strong passwords that are difficult for hackers to crack
- Use two-factor or multi-factor authentication to add multiple layers of security
- Install security and service updates immediately
- Do not use the default password of your router
Final Words
Home is a sanctuary where you want to feel secure, relaxed, and tension-free.
A smart home will add automation to your home, making it capable of delivering all the comfort and safety.
From smart lighting to robust home security systems, a smart home is a way to live a high-quality life.
To optimize your smart home automation fully, consider investing in the smart hub, geofencing, sensors, and voice-enabled automation.
Additionally, ensure your smart home’s security and a strong network connection to boost the functionality of your home.
