We live in a technologically advanced era, which means that innovations are everywhere. Even if there are still traditional ways of living, these advancements in technologies have made our lives easier. One of these said innovations is a smart home, a home system that controls your appliances and equipment.
A smart home makes your life easier because instead of manually controlling appliances like home security or air-conditioning, the smart home system does it for you. In the following, we'll list down the several advantages and disadvantages of owning a smart home.
Advantages of a Smart Home
1. Tighter Security
Whether it's video monitoring or motion detection, a smart home guarantees better security. It can also help you keep tabs on your kids to ensure that they're safe at home. If there are unusual changes that need alerting, an alarm can be set off so you can take immediate action when there is a security breach.
Whether as a homeowner, parent, or someone who genuinely cares about the overall safety and security of the place they call home, a smart home will give you real-time alerts and updates if anything suspicious is going on.
2. Energy Management
One of the remarkable benefits is that a smart home helps you save energy and costs. It manages your utilities, appliances, lighting, and other energy-consuming factors that can potentially add more expenses to your monthly bills.
When you program aspects like your thermostat to a specific temperature for a specific period of the day, you're saving yourself both time and expenses. It really is a smart way to save money and energy in the long run. Smart homes can save between 30–40% of your home's energy consumption.
3. Convenience
The most obvious advantage behind smart home technologies is the convenience they provide. Think of how much time you're going to potentially save by using a smart home system to get things done for you. This is especially true if you're busy with work tasks and barely have the time to think about responsibilities like changing the thermostat or managing security cameras.
Having a smart home will make your life so much easier, and it would also ease your mind from potential threats and harms that could happen in your home if you're away.
4. Accessibility
Individuals of all ages are finding the accessibility of smart homes to be very enjoyable. Based on a survey, one in seven adults aged 50 and above have home assistance devices like Google Home. For the elderly who need more assistance, smart homes can help them do labor-extensive tasks.
The elderly need the most support, and if they're living alone, nobody else can cater to their needs, such as lowering the air-conditioning or turning off lights. Smart home technologies also provide real-time, two-way communication through audio and video, so you're free to check up on your elderly loved ones, even from your office or elsewhere.
Disadvantages of a Smart Home
1. Expense
While a smart home can save your energy costs in the long run, it's generally not a cheap investment. Since it's a modern technological innovation, expect that this investment will entail a large portion of your savings if you lack the resources.
Based on a source, you may spend approximately $1,000 on lighting alone by turning each regular light bulb into a smart alternative. While turning your standard home into a smart one is the most ideal and attractive option, it won't be exactly cheap to get to this point.
2. Power Surges
Before you completely turn your home into a smart home, you need to ensure that it's safe from power surges for your own safety. According to the Insurance Information Institute, this is to avoid disasters from occurring when lightning strikes or a storm occurs.
3. Compatibility
As perfect as a smart home may sound, it's not compatible with all smart home technology manufacturers, so the effectiveness of turning your home into a smart home depends on the appliances and technologies you're using. This is where you need the perspective of a professional to help guide you on which devices are compatible with your smart home system.
Highlights to Conclude
The innovation behind smart homes will help you save energy costs and make things easier for you in managing and looking after your home, even from miles away. Smart home technologies are also one of the modern technological innovations today that can assist your elderly family members or watch over your kids.
Incorporating home automation systems has several benefits, but it's not all perfect as there are still downsides. Even if having a smart home is energy-efficient in the long run, it's initially an expensive investment to make. Therefore, you must look into all the factors before deciding if a smart home is something you need and can afford to have.
About the Author
Serene Yu is the Vice President of New Manila San Juan, the premiere real estate marketplace for luxury properties in the Philippines. Serene is a well-versed writer and marketer that enjoys keeping up with the latest trends in real estate, interior design, and technology. Outside work she enjoys travelling, cooking, and baking.
