10 Ways to Boost Your Smart Home’s IQ

Smart homes are the future. The days of manually adjusting a home’s thermostat or opening a window to let some air in are long gone. Thanks to modern technology, we can control our home’s environment using Smart devices and apps. And the best bit? We don’t even need to be at home to take control!

Whether you’ve just bought a new holiday home from Karkanja Property Development, or just want to make some changes to your current house, here are 10 ways to give your home a much-needed IQ boost.

1. Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo is top of the Smart Home tree. The Echo contains your very own virtual assistant, so if you want to turn the heating up or play some chillout music, tell “Alexa” to get right on it. This ultra-cool device looks cute and is the tech equivalent of your very own personal butler.

2. Nest Learning Thermostat

The Nest is a smart control for your home’s heating system. Once you have Nest installed, you can forget about turning the heating on and off. After a few days, Nest learns your preferences and will save you money on your energy bills. It can be controlled remotely using a smartphone.

3. Google Home

The Google Home device is similar to the Amazon Echo. It uses voice activation to control the environment in your home, stream music, set alarms, and remind you when you have an appointment. You can set it up to work with a smartphone and it will connect to existing Smart Home devices, such as a Nest Thermostat.

4. Nest Cam IQ

Protect your home with a Nest Cam IQ. The intelligent Nest Cam will detect an intruder and stream the footage direct to your smartphone. It can see in the dark and has facial recognition technology, so it will zoom in on an intruder’s face. If you do suffer a break-in, the Nest Cam IQ should provide ample evidence to help police win a conviction.

5. Nest Protect

Smoke alarms and CO detectors are a must-have in any home, so why not go one step further and install a Nest Protect? The Nest Protect won’t drive you insane by screeching each time you cook dinner; it knows the difference between smoke and steam. It works in partnership with a Nest Thermostat and will switch the boiler off in an emergency.

6. Elgato Eve Degree

If you like to keep a close eye on the temperature in your home, the Elgato Eve Degree is for you. The Eve Degree is a handy little weather sensor that you can use indoors or outside. It measures the ambient temperature, humidity levels, and atmospheric pressure. Connect to Eve using the Eve App or an Apple iPhone or iWatch.

7. Furbo

Leaving a pet home alone is always cause for concern. The last thing you want to worry about is whether Scruff is making a nest in your bed or digging a hole in your leather sofa. The Amazon Furbo is a Smart doggy camera with a microphone and speaker. It will send an alert if Scruff is barking his head off, but if he’s being a good boy, you can use a dedicated app to remotely dispense a doggy treat.

8. Intelligent Lighting

Intelligent lighting is a must-have for any modern home. Philips Hue Lights are available in a range of different colors and fixings. Set up your Hue lights on automated timers and control them using Amazon or Google Home.

The Orb is also very smart. You can control the color and direction of an Orb light with a single tap. Perfect for a home office or reading nook.

9. Smart Lock

The August Smart Lock provides your home with an extra layer of intruder protection. It works in conjunction with an existing deadbolt and can be integrated with Apple HomeKit software, although you don’t need an iPhone to use the Smart Lock.

The Gate is another cool Smart lock device that works with a deadbolt. The Gate monitors visitors and can be pre-set with custom parameters, which is useful for holiday lets.

10. Moodo

Smell is very important in an intelligent home. Doggy odors are out and essential oil essences are in. Use a Moodo device to mix and match your preferred blend of scents. There are over 400,000 combinations to choose from, including Summer Rain and Power Breakfast. Control the scent of a room using a handy app. Who needs scented candles when you have a Moodo?

Smart home technology is becoming more sophisticated every year. It won’t be long before we have robots running our homes, cooking meals, and cleaning up after the dog. I can’t wait for that day to come!

About the author:

Elena Tahora has been investing in real estate for more than 10 years and writing about real estate investing for seven years. She’s working as digital marketing manager at Karkanja.