What should I consider if I want to make my home smarter?

Whether you’re wondering where to start or have already taken some initial steps, we’ve put together a list of things to keep in mind. 

What do you want to control in your smart home? 

This is perhaps the most important question you should ask yourself. Do you want to keep an eye on your lighting, your sunshades, or your heating? All of them at once? A good first step is to grab a piece of paper and simply sketch out how your home looks. Then think about what you want to be able to control.  

Every home has lighting, so this is often the most convenient place to start. Do you want to control just a lamp or two? Or do you wish to create a cosy atmosphere throughout the home with coloured lighting everywhere? Should the lighting be dimmable? 

If you live in a house with a patio, perhaps it’s the terrace awning that should be controllable? Or the roller blinds in the bedroom? Given the increased costs of heating homes, a combination of both sun protection and smart radiator thermostats may be something to consider. 

The best way to plan is to simply start writing down what it is you want to make smarter. Do this for each room in your home, and then list in priority order the different types of products that may be worth investing in. Let go of the thought of trying to do everything at once – it’s just not practical. 

How do you want to control your smart home? 

Today there are several ways to control a smart home. The simplest is with some form of remote control or wall switch, although in itself this is not automatically classified as smart. For controls to truly be considered smart, you need some form of a bridge, hub or gateway. This is a device that connects to your home network router and acts as the brain of your smart home. 

You then operate the controller via an app on your smartphone that provides an overview of all your connected devices that can then be controlled. This is how you program exactly when the lighting should turn on or off, for example. You may want to set these events to coincide with the sun rising and setting, or for lighting to turn on when you come home from work. You may also want to specify when your sunshades should roll down, music should start playing, and when the indoor temperature should rise. 

You can take things a step further by installing smart sensors, such as those that detect motion when you enter a room so and automatically turn on the lighting. A sensor can also be a magnetic contact that turns on lighting when a door is opened, for example. Sensors enable you to control your home via voice commands too. For example, a compatible voice assistant can activate different products or scenes quickly and easily. Just say "movie night" and the TV turns on, the roller blinds come down, and the lighting is dimmed. Bring out the popcorn and everything is ready for a movie! 

Do you want to save money on your smart home?  

Although it requires a certain up-front investment, a smart home allows you to save money in the longer run. For example, you can save on heating costs by automating your sunshades to open when the sun is shining and allowing its rays to naturally warm your home. Conversely, sunshades can also be set to lower automatically and retain indoor heat when the sun is not out. In summer, bringing the shades down during the heat of the day can help to save on air conditioning costs too. There are even more opportunities for saving if you combine smart sun-protection shades with an air-fuelled heat pump and radiator thermostats that can be controlled via your smart controller.  

Do you also want security in your smart home?  

“My home is my castle” – so the saying goes. With increases in crime and unwanted intruders, you may feel safer with a little extra security in your castle.  

The easiest way to do this is install one or two security cameras. You could start with one for indoors and one for outdoors, for example. Today's security cameras can show what's happening in real-time, as well as send notifications when something is detected and you're not at home. Modern cameras also record video clips that can be saved. 

Security cameras can often be integrated with other smart devices too, such as those that sense motion. If an outdoor camera detects someone sneaking around in the middle of the night, the sensor can activate both outdoor and indoor lighting to give the impression of someone being at home. This deterrent effect is reassuring for homeowners. For even more security, there are also smart alarms for windows and doors that activate loud sirens if someone tries to break in.  

The smart home is here to stay, and it brings a multitude of benefits in terms of convenience, comfort and safety.