If you’ve been thinking about making the switch to a smart home, you may be wondering where to start. What should you get first? How will you pay for it? Is it secure? Will it really save you money? You’ll be able to figure out the answer to these and other questions if you keep reading.
What Will It Cost?
The answer to this is that you can essentially spend as much or as little as you want on a smart home upgrade. You may want to start small, or you might want to go all-in, overhauling your home entirely. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to cost is that many of these upgrades will actually save you money. For example, smart sprinklers may mean that you use a lot less water while smart thermostats can lower your utility bills.
However, whatever you decide, you may be looking for ways to cut your expenses so that you can justify the cost of your upgrade. You might want to make a budget and look at places you may be overspending. Some might surprise you. For example, if you have student loans, you might be able to refinance them with a private lender at a lower rate and pay less each month. So that you know what to budget for, you can use a student loan refinance calculator to get an idea of what that rate will be.
Think About Your Aim
Why do you want a smart home? Answering this question will help you better decide what approach to take and where to start. Do you want a more efficient home? Perhaps you should start with temperature controls. Maybe home security is important to you, and you want to get a smart doorbell and locks. Perhaps you’re just really into gadgets and you want a smart refrigerator or a smart coffee maker just because you like the novelty of it. It’s your money and your home, so what someone else would do is not important. What you do first is up to you.
Consider Your Foundation
Another approach you may want to consider is starting with a strong foundation that you can build on. You can get many different components that are connected to a hub that you can control with your phone. However, you shouldn’t assume that a hub is a required component, and in some cases, such as with controls for water, a self-contained system may actually be better.
In fact, if you’re passionate about your garden, this may be a good place to start. A smart irrigation system can help you ensure that it gets just the amount of water that you need without wasting it. Alternately, maybe you want to start with a better system for keeping your home at a comfortable temperature. While regular thermostats regular cooling and heating in your home based on their location, smart technology can manage the temperature based on where you spend the most time. If you’re all about the indoor entertainment, you might want to upgrade your audio system so you can stream music that sounds great wherever you are in the house.
