Everything You Need For A DIY Smart Home
The phrases ‘smart home’ and ‘Internet of Things’ are two utterances that embody the future of modern technology. Gone are the days of traditional lock and key systems, thermostats and CCTV cameras. Now, we can lock our homes, tweak the heating and monitor different rooms using a teeny tiny smartphone.
For tech-heads, these developments are exciting, and for the rest of us, they’re astounding. Some people prefer the more traditional way of doing things – and that’s fine, it’s not going anywhere! But the speed and efficiency of smart tech cannot be denied, and it’s this that makes it a worthy investment.
So, if you’ve designed the garden and fixed the roof and a smart home is next on your list, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need, and everything you need to know, about the most modern system of them all.
You’ll need a speedy smartphone
And it’ll need 3G access, too. Sure, you can manage your smart home from a laptop, but that needs wifi, which means you’d be in your home anyway. The real benefit of mobile control is you can do it from anywhere in the world.
On your way home from work? Turn the heating on so it’s warm when you arrive. Holidaying in Majorca? Pull up your home’s wireless CCTV feed to check on the cat. Before you build a smart home, ensure your phone is up to the task!
Build a unified system
It’s a good idea to build your smart home around a single manufacturer. This way, your home will be more unified and some of the devices can speak to each other. Most companies sell everything you need, like the suite of smart technology from Smart72. If you cherry-pick, you’ll need different apps for different devices, and the whole thing can get messy.
Recommended gadgets
There are a few staples of the smart home scene that would be wise initial investments. These include:
- Wireless cameras. These allow you to keep an eye on any room in the house when you’re away. Some even let you watch in night vision, or play a noise through a speaker to ward off intruders.
- Smart thermostat. A smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature in your home from a mobile app. No more fiddling with that thermostat in the kitchen! You can cool things down or warm them up with just a few taps.
- Smoke/carbon monoxide detector. One of these gadgets allows you to get alerts sent straight to your phone. You can be informed of smoke anywhere in the house, so you can act quickly. If you’re away from home, you’ll be notified instantly so can call the emergency services and save as much time as possible.
And finally… wiring skills!
For some gadgets, you’ll need to physically wire them into your home yourself. This will never be too complex – think popping off a thermostat and popping a new one on – but could prove hard for some. Make sure you read the package details carefully to see if the manufacturer provides this service!