4 Smart Home Features That are Skyrocketing in Popularity

When it comes to making home renovations, most homeowners think of projects like painting the bathroom or installing new flooring. While these tried-and-true methods can certainly increase your return on investment (ROI), they don’t always add inherent functionality.

Technology-based renovations, on the other hand, are rapidly increasing in popularity. In fact, according to the 2016 Houzz Smart Home Trends Study, [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]45 percent of all homeowners intend to install one or more new forms of technology during their renovations.[/inlinetweet] Smart home technology comes in many shapes and sizes, and not only can it maximize homeowner convenience, but it can save home energy and reduce utility costs. Here are just a few of the most popular smart home technology trends for 2018.

Climate Control

Programmable thermostats have been around for quite some time, but smart climate control systems do much more than allow you to program when to turn the system on and off. Smart climate control systems such as thermostats allow you to customize the temperature for multiple rooms, meaning that you can keep your bedroom cooler at night while making sure your child’s room stays toasty warm. This feature, along with the ability to schedule your home’s climate to align with the hours you’re in or out of your home, can result in significant energy savings.

Security

[pullquote]If you want to be able to unlock or even open your door simply by stepping in front of it, automated door locks may be perfect for you. [/pullquote]Maintaining home security should be an absolute priority for all homeowners, and many are following suit by investing in smart home security systems. These can range from automated door locks to video monitor-based surveillance. If you want to be able to unlock or even open your door simply by stepping in front of it, automated door locks may be perfect for you. No more forgetting your keys!

And for parents who may have busy work schedules, video-based monitoring may be ideal.

“Watch your kids get home safely from school, make sure they’re doing their homework and not watching TV, or simply set up and arm your security system and other alarms while you’re away with the touch of a button,” writes ClearView Audio.

Lighting

Smart lighting can make it exponentially easier to navigate your home at night, as well as having the potential to reduce energy costs by up to 90 percent, according to Gartner, Inc. Smart lighting systems come in many shapes and sizes; you can install outlets, control panels, dimmers, and other lighting-based functions that don’t require electrical rewiring. Smart lighting systems may be the trendiest items on this list—their installation is expected to increase exponentially in the next few years, from 46 million units in 2015 to a whopping 2.54 billion units in 2020.

Entertainment

Finally, smart entertainment systems have made their way into the average American home and are definitely here to stay. Voice control is becoming the most prevalent, with approximately 35.6 million Americans using voice-activated digital assistants like Amazon Echo at least once per month. There’s also the influx of smart TVs being designed and manufactured to be sleek and efficient. Smart TVs are equipped with their own Internet access capabilities and set of ‘apps’ for maximum entertainment, effectively replacing any external or secondary streaming device many traditional TV owners use.

Ultimately, these trends indicate a larger paradigm shift toward smart technologies in future years. While they do require a higher initial investment, there’s almost no limit to what these money and energy-saving gadgets are capable of.