Experts predict that the smart appliances market will hit a CAGR of 13.47% to 2024. This rapid growth is due to more and more people adopting a smart home lifestyle, wherein they can control their appliances using smartphone apps or smart speakers.
If you’re one who wants to join the smart home revolution, you might get confused about the abundance of products already out in the market. If so, keep reading to know how to build a smart home the smart way.
1. Start with a Smart Speaker
Smart products usually come with a smartphone app that will let you control them from your phone. That’s neat, but what’s even better is being able to control them with your voice.
This is where a smart speaker comes in; you’ll be able to connect your products to it. These speakers come with an app, where you can register your devices and access them.
This allows you to control all of them via your speaker without opening the individual apps. It will serve as a command center for your smart home.
There’s one thing you have to note, though. Make sure the smart devices you’ll buy are compatible with your home speaker. Some may only work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant but not with Siri, for example.
That means your choice of smart speaker is going to shape your whole smart home. It’s best to do your research first to make an informed decision.
2. Identify the Problems You’d Like to Fix
The first step in building a smart home is figuring out what problems in your home you’d like to solve first. What issues are you having that are making your life harder? Then, think if replacing that problem with a smart product would make your life easier.
This way, you won’t fall to gimmicks and you’ll start your smart home journey with a worthwhile purchase. If you start with a product you only saw on TV, you may not feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. As a result, this might discourage you to continue upgrading to smart products.
You may want to be able to keep an eye on your dog while you’re away, or your home security system may feel incomplete. There are smart products for that, and if you feel like they will give you much-needed peace of mind, they’re worth a look.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can move on to other smart products that will fix yet another problem in your home.
3. Install Smart Bulbs and Smart Plugs
Smart bulbs are also a good place to start for your home of the future. They’re inexpensive, and they’re pretty easy to install. You’ll only need to buy smart bulbs, take out your current light bulbs, and then replace them with your smart bulbs.
You’ll need a small hub, though, which you’ll have to plug into an outlet and then to your router via ethernet. This is a one-time purchase, and it can already manage up to 50 smart bulbs.
With smart bulbs, you can turn them on and off with your voice. They may also have dimming and color-changing capabilities, which are great for setting the mood.
There are even some bulbs that work with geofencing. They’ll work with GPS, allowing them to perform a specified action based on your location. You can have them turn on on their own when you arrive home, for example.
Aside from smart bulbs, smart plugs are also great for those only starting to build a smart home. These come with an app, which you can use to control them.
You plug a smart plug into an outlet, then you plug the appliance you want to control into it. It has pretty basic functions, like turning the appliance on and off. Still, it’s a good start for those who don’t have yet the budget to buy the smart equivalent of their current appliances.
4. Don’t Fall for Gimmicks
Even if you have the budget, though, don’t buy something only because it’s tagged as “smart.” First, you have to think if it solves a problem or if it’s only trying to sell you a cool feature you don’t need. The “smart” tag in products doesn’t have regulations, as well, so you might have to be wary when you see a “smart” product.
Smart refrigerators, for instance, with touchscreens that show calendars, music, and such may not be worth the upgrade. For one, these functions are already available in smartphones, which people are more likely to use.
Second, you may use something like a FridgePad instead if you want a touchscreen on your fridge. Then, use a smart plug if you want to be able to turn it on and off, but even that is unnecessary.
You wouldn’t need a washing machine that texts you when it’s finished spinning, either. Note that there are products that only add these smart functions for novelty. In actual, they don’t contribute to streamlining your life at all.
The worthwhile additions in your smart home would be something like a smart home security system, a smart smoke detector, audio systems, and such. A smart thermostat is a great product, too, and a wall heater, which you can learn more about in this blog.
5. Pay Attention to Wi-Fi and Security
Your smart devices would be operating through a wireless network, which means they’re susceptible to exploits as well. This means your smart home security will be only as strong as your password. For this reason, it’s worth creating a different password for each one.
You may use tools like 1Password that will generate a random, strong password for you and also remember it for you. Make sure to update your devices as soon as it becomes available. These updates will contain security patches for new vulnerabilities.
Consider using a Wi-Fi network for your devices that’s separate from the one you use for computers and mobile devices.
Learn More Tips on How to Build a Smart Home Today
These are the first steps you’ll need to take, but you have more to do. If you need to know more about how to build a smart home, though, check out our other blog posts today. Learn about other tech products on our blog, too, like the importance of network security.
