Smart home technology is an investment in the future as much as it is in the present. With UK homes becoming smarter, this trend is set to continue. From the peculiar to the practical, new technologies are being introduced to produce rapidly evolving homes. As technology becomes more available and more affordable, new solutions to everyday problems are being solved through faster, smaller, more accessible and easier to use tech. It is no surprise this is an evolving trend reshaping the future of your home in the present and future. But what exactly can we expect from smart technology in the forthcoming years?
Particularly in high end properties whereby the cost of living is a higher, the capabilities of smart home technology are not restricted by lack of money, therefore the possibilities are immense. International design consultant Ian Silverstein created ‘Home House’, a property on the market for £1.75 million with an accumulation of around £75,000 of smart technology. Innovative gadgets were a welcomed addition to the home which included light sensors in the bathroom, a switch located near the doors which turns off all lights when you leave the property, smart fire alarms to detect if there are any levels of carbon dioxide in the property and biometric security which allows quick assess through the front door if your hands are full with shopping. Evidently, Silverstein is a firm advocate of using smart technology throughout his home.
Companies like Amazon, Samsung and Google are entering the marketplace with their own smart home technology, it is just a waiting game before it comes commonplace in houses and apartments around the world.
Smart home features are extremely diverse, and some are focussed towards energy savings, reducing waste and creating an environmentally friendly home. Solar panels and ground source heat pumps are providing homes with their own renewable energy sources, electric vehicle charging points are becoming more common and smart thermostats can be used to monitor how much power is being consumed during peak times and aim to reduce them.
One major step for smart technology is data sharing, with the ideal smart homes acting like a personal assistant. Fridges have the capacity to order food when you are running low, lights could switch on and off in certain rooms depending on your movement, and your home could be heated to the perfect temperature when you return home from work. For this to become a reality, you must share your personal data with external companies to feedback to your smart devices. Often people may be reluctant in sharing sensitive data, however if this is carried out in a responsible way it could allow your home and smart technology to learn more about yourself as your behaviour, allowing devices to perform important tasks on your behalf.
For property investors, using technology in their properties can be a great way to entice new tenants, even if the properties pose a premium price for these high-tech features. Property investment company, RW Invest offer a diverse range of buy to let opportunities throughout the UK however their some of their latest properties including Hollywood Manchester have smart features installed for an elevated standard of living. This boosts appeal for tenants and raises the demand due to increasing the energy efficiency of their home through low-carbon technologies. Solar panels are a key feature of this development.
Integrating technology in your home or rental property is more than likely to add value. Smart technology is emerging as an intelligent addition to any home and stands rather affordable. Homeowners are becoming to accept that smart technology is an unavoidable part of the future and with so many exciting break throughs on the technology front, it is a wise decision to prepare your home to become enriched with the endless possibilities of smart home technology.
