Seeing Why Home Automation Is Gaining in Importance

Summary

By Ashley Hicks, Home automation writer

Home automation is a relatively new phenomenon that's gaining popularity among homeowners as it becomes less and less expensive. By connecting your personal devices, entertainment platforms and home appliances to a central automation 'hub' you can control everything from lights to temperature to music at any time using your smartphone, tablet or computer. Here's a quick guide to how home automation works and why it's an option that homeowners need to be aware of.

What is Home Automation?

Home automation essentially programming technologies in your home through a central hub that, by routing through the wi-fi, can be accessed while you are at home or on the road. Through this hub you gain greater control of your home and reap many benefits.

Benefits of an Automated Home

The reason home automation is so important is that it offers homeowners tangible benefits that go beyond simple convenience. These are a few of the advantages that 'smart homes' have to offer in addition to saving you time:

Lower Heating and Electric Bills

Home automation can help you cut back on heating and electric bills in a variety of ways. You might program your hub to keep the house colder (in the winter) or warmer (in the summer) when nobody's home, then crank up the heat or AC as soon as you get back from work. You can also program the hub to turn off all the lights in your house automatically once you've left for work and the kids are at school to ensure nobody raises the electric bill by forgetting to flip a switch. There's a nearly endless number of potential money-saving presets, and with everything automated, you'll never have to waste gas driving back home to turn things off.

Keep Your Family Safe

There are a wide variety of available 'smart' security gadgets that can be integrated with your home automation system to keep your family safe. Automated electronic locks allow you to lock or unlock doors with a tap of your smartphone screen, eliminating the need to hide an easily-stolen spare key. Many automated locks will also alert you whenever a door is opened, which helps you maintain peace of mind when you're out of the house. You can also purchase home security cameras that will connect to your hub, allowing you to look through the cameras' lenses on your smartphone or tablet at any time.

Feel Happier in Your Home

Few things in life are as valuable as feeling happy and comfortable when you're at home. A home automation system allows you to adjust light and temperature from anywhere in your house, which means things can stay just as you like them even when you're too busy to get up and fiddle with the thermostat. If you're feeling sad or coming home from a rough day at work, you can tell your phone's voice assistant to have the automation hub play your favorite song from any connected device. And if you have children complaining that the house is too hot or too cold while you're trying to relax, it's a great feeling to be able to open an app and adjust the temperature without moving a muscle.

Other Neat Things a Home Automation System Can Do

In addition to keeping your family safe and giving easy control of temperature, lighting, and music, home automation can be used for other cool tasks. Through home automation you can build a home theater with beautifully equalized sound and perfect lighting that adapts to the film and even the time of day. Home automation can also be used as an alarm clock, waking you up through raising blinds or turning up the radio over time so that you don’t have to listen to an obnoxious alarm.

Home Automation Available Today

With all the benefits home automation seems like a no brainer. Hub kits and various other parts and pieces needed for home automation can be found on amazon or other online retailers. It should also be noted that there is no one size fits all for home automation. Hubs can be paired with many auxiliary systems allowing for a wide range of customization. Numerous brands make speakers, cameras, and even appliances that will pair with a hub and work to automate your home and take it to the next level.

About the Author

In 2010 I graduated from the New York School of Design and moved to Austin, TX. Since moving to Dallas, I’ve married by sweetheart, started a family, and founded a company in which I assist with interior design work and home automation. I have recently begun delving into the writing scene and enjoy writing about design, homes, and family life! Feel free to contact me with questions or comments at [email protected].