Bryan Baeumler is one of HGTV Canada’s go-to contractors and the host of Bryan Inc., House of Bryan and Leave it to Bryan.
With the New Year comes the desire for change – and for some that means renovating your home or even building it from the ground up. If you’re considering tearing down walls and making major updates to your living space this year, it’s time to start thinking about what to incorporate within those walls as well – and by that I mean smart home technology.
Smart home technology is becoming a huge industry trend: many of you probably have a wireless security camera or smart thermostat, but there are now technologies available that can become an even more integrated part of your home. There is no doubt that these smart devices will continue to grow in popularity and will soon be expected within a household. In my opinion, this is a positive move going forward if said technology is used correctly. Here’s why:
Advanced Entertainment
If you’re tearing walls and ceilings down, consider installing an integrated speaker system. We did this when building House of Bryan 3, our current home, and I must admit I didn’t think it was necessary at first. But now that it’s installed, I use it all the time. I love it. You can now also install smart speakers linked to a hub that will play your favourite song simply by you asking.
Energy Savings
There are various products out there that enable you to customize your home to suit your schedule and needs. There are, for example, smart plugs and dimmer switches that can also be set to your personal requirements via an app. You can initiate these settings remotely, whether you’re worried you didn’t unplug the iron or forgot to switch off the upstairs lights. This artificial intelligence will not only help you save on energy costs – but you’ll have a safer home in the process.
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Home Safety
Speaking of safety: another product to consider while renovating is a smart lock system. These innovative devices connect to your smartphone so you can lock and unlock your door remotely. With some technologies, you can even send keyless access to family and friends by the click of a button. This allows you to monitor who has access to your home and helps further secure your property.
With all these new smart home systems, there is certainly worry about hacking. What if your phone was stolen and the thief was able to unlock your home? In this event you can usually disable access online – but this is still an important question, and I don’t have the ideal answer. I guess there is always a chance of this happening, regardless of the system you are using.
However, I still believe the large number of positives coming out of smart home technology outweigh the negatives. The fact that we can have more control over the security and efficiency of our homes is certainly an interesting proposition, and I think it’s one worth considering as you think about making changes and advancements to your home in the year ahead.
