Advances in technology have seen more homeowners and real estate developers continue to build or convert existing properties into smart homes. Blueground, a proptech company and a trusted provider of furnished apartments in Washington DC and other major cities, demonstrates perfectly what this tech has achieved in transforming the real estate industry. The company has been relying heavily on smart technology to equip and upgrade its serviced apartments with sophisticated appliances. The aim is to ensure every business traveler or renter who chooses to live here enjoys all the conveniences that technology has to offer.
We sought to find out some of the smart home trends that Blueground and other tech-savvy real estate firms are using in 2020. The following eight trends were the most interesting. Check them out!
Smart locks
One of the most useful smart additions to your home when looking to enhance safety are smart locks. These devices can help to protect sensitive spaces inside your house and also make it easy for you to welcome guests even when you’re far from home.
The majority of smart locks can be controlled using a mobile phone, and this includes opening or closing doors remotely. Usually, they create digital keys that you share with your visitors to unlock selected doors.
Smart TVs
Smart TVs can do everything a standard TV does, but with the added benefit of web connectivity. This means you can stream videos or view your favorite content on the web without needing a cable connection or an external box. Most modern ones even come with popular services and applications installed, including YouTube, Netflix, and Roku TV.
Google Home
Google Home is widely considered to be Google’s response to Amazon Echo, and it hasn’t disappointed since arriving in the modern connected homes. Use the smart speaker to discover useful information about the weather, price of plane tickets, and pretty much anything happening around the web, all thanks to its built-in AI voice assistant technology.
What’s more, the device’s Google Assistant function can control hundreds of smart home products from some of the world’s biggest brands like Nest, Whirlpool, LG, and GE. As such, you can use it to regulate temperature using a connected smart thermostat, dim lights automatically, or turn on a smart microwave.
Apps and online booking
Mobile apps are quickly changing how users access housing information and products. Today, you can easily find a dream house to buy or rent, thanks to online platforms and apps that aggregate this information for you.
For example, Blueground has a proprietary Guest App that allows renters to virtually view available apartments so they can learn more about their features and amenities. Once you’ve moved into your new place, you can also use the same app to request cleaning and laundry services with just the tap of a button.
Concerning online booking, you no longer have to avail yourself physically to book, rent, or buy an apartment. Advances in tech mean you can now complete the entire process online, including signing contracts with landlords remotely.
Smart furniture
A lot of smart home devices are meant to either improve safety or help you save money by adding more convenience to households. However, there’s more to these devices than just these two benefits.
Consider the example of Sleep Number, a furniture brand that is working on designing a connected bed that automatically readjusts your position even when you’re asleep. Some of the trigger factors it will be relying on include snoring patterns, movements, or temperature changes. The bed comes with smart features like the ability to raise the head area to reduce your snoring. It will also pack an instant notification that rings when there’s considerable movement such as a child leaving the bed.
Another smart furniture you can consider are the smart dressing tables and wardrobes. Use these devices to choose your hairstyle and outfits or to organize your toiletries and clothes better. Finally, you can acquire a set of smart sofas that adjust themselves automatically depending on the sitting position or level of comfort you want.
Smart kitchen appliances
Of all rooms found in a typical home, the kitchen is probably the least impacted by the smart tech wave that has been sweeping across the real estate industry. However, this trend is about to change if the many smart kitchen appliances being introduced into the market are anything to go by.
To begin with, top brands like Samsung and Whirlpool are now offering a wide range of Wi-Fi-enabled kitchen devices, including refrigerators and ovens. These appliances can respond accurately to voice commands and relay tailored information to different users. For example, the Family Hub refrigerator by Samsung comes with an AI-controlled LCD screen that renders the use of sticky notepads useless. Others like Yummly by Whirlpool help you create recipes based on the ingredients you have in your kitchen. The appliance will even auto-download video tutorials for these recipes to help you prepare tasty dishes like a professional.
Smart lighting devices
Ever heard of the circadian rhythm? Well, this is simply how your body and mind behaves when exposed to certain factors like light and darkness. A more straightforward explanation for this is what makes you feel sleepy when night comes and awake when the day breaks.
Recently, there has been an upsurge of smart lighting devices whose primary aim is to help improve the quality of sleep. A typical setup comprises a home lighting system that’s tied to a smart hub that automatically adjusts the brightness of bulbs as the evening and night progress. The idea is to systematically dim down the lighting to reduce exposure to light and prepare your body for night sleep. This means you rest better at night which is vital in boosting your overall productivity and mood.
Smart thermostat
Energy rates have constantly been rising over the past few decades, with this resulting in increased cost of living. As such, anything that helps to reduce energy consumption is always a welcome addition for many homeowners.
One of the most useful devices you can use to cut energy bills at home is a smart thermostat. Studies show that these appliances can help homeowners reduce up to a third of their energy bills when set up correctly.
How they do this is to automatically shut down systems when they’re not in use or when not needed. For example, they can detect when there’s natural light in the house and therefore switch off the bulbs. Additionally, they can sense when the temperature and humidity levels in your home are optimal and automatically stop the AC. If you’re looking to save on electricity usage in 2020, then this is one appliance you can’t afford to miss in your home.
Conclusion
Making your home smart doesn’t have to be a prohibitively expensive affair. All you need is to identify a few useful smart appliances from this list and acquire them at your most comfortable pace. You may also want to consult an expert to make sure you’re doing the right thing and using the most efficient systems.
