9 Smart Tech trends for homes
The smart home phenomenon is by definition at the cutting edge of technology: new products, concepts and functionality are emerging all the time. For those unfamiliar with smart home technology or even for those with more knowledge, it’s good to know what the biggest drivers and developments are that can make life more fun, feature rich, efficient and practical.
The Avande Select Portal exists to enable homeowners to make informed choices to suit their lifestyle and needs. Homeowners make selections online via a special portal created specifically for their home and then deal only with Avande for fitting, support and smart home advice.
Before you start to plan, make sure you know what your priorities are and what they deliver.
1- Intelligent Lighting
Ever since the smart home sector learned to control low power, energy efficient LEDs, a whole new world of intelligent lighting systems has emerged. Using these platforms homeowners can experience high efficiency as lights turn on and off based on set criteria, such as room occupancy and time of day.
Special ‘scenes’ can also be created to be switched on for particular occasions or moods. A cosy movie night or full-on party mode lighting scenes add a new dimension to time spent together.
Owners of these systems can also take direct control changing the colours and intensity of their lights both in their home and outside, in real time, to suit their mood and taste.
2 – Enhanced Connected Security
Connected security devices provide owners with increased peace of mind and practical advantages too.
Communicating with their home when away to speak to delivery drivers, tradespeople or to check on the family dog, are all popular usages of these systems.
Other types of security such as leak detection and protecting families’ online experience can also be included.
Smart home systems also, of course, protect dwellings with the most advanced CCTV, alarms and theft deterrent systems.
3 – Multiroom Music
Love music? Then have it in every room in your home!
This is perhaps the most high-profile concept of the smart home industry due to the popularity of systems such as Sonos.
What consumers may not know is there are a myriad of systems that will deliver music into every part of your home and exterior spaces, often fully integrated into the fabric of your home at a range of quality levels.
Users can enjoy always available music wherever they are, often opening a whole new relationship with their favourite sounds.
4 – Home Cinema
The growth in home cinema is one of the biggest success stories of recent years in the smart home sector.
Many of the world’s best AV manufacturers have set their sharpest minds to creating a truly cinematic experience at home.
Think the magic of the cinema can’t be created at home? Think again! A well-appointed home cinema created by an expert installer can outperform even the best commercial theatres.
5 – Comfort Control
Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning or HVAC is not the ‘sexiest’ part of the smart home market perhaps, but intelligently controlling the environment in your home is a huge benefit to an increasing number of people.
With energy efficiency and household bills a live issue, being able to intelligently control your home environment via a pre-programmed set of criteria drives efficiency to new levels.
Intelligent environmental control also allows users to dial in at any time and adjust heating or cooling to their desired level fast and efficiently from inside their home or when they are away.
6 – Superfast Connectivity
Smart home companies are experts at improving the home internet experience.
With most ISPs providing at best indifferent routers, speeds and reliability, leaving homeowners unable to gain full advantage of what faster speeds can bring to entertainment and smart home experiences.
A simple installation and calibration of a pro-level router will transform any user’s in-home experience.
7 – Voice Recognition
If you think voice recognition begins and ends by asking a smart speaker what the weather will be like or to play a favourite radio station – think again!
Smart home engineers can introduce consumers to a whole new world where their voice can become the primary way of controlling their smart home.
8 – Exterior Entertainment
Love spending time in your garden? Then this experience just got even better, because technological advancements mean the whole family can enjoy listening to music, watching TV or appreciate beautiful accent lighting in your exterior spaces all year round.
9 – Enhanced Gaming
Gaming titles are some of the most popular forms of entertainment on the planet, often outselling their movie rivals – and with equally big budgets – to create ever more immersive and entertaining experiences. Game creators spend millions per title on superfast graphics, as well as pumping soundtracks and special effects. Gaming titles deserve the very best audio-visual equipment to deliver their full potential, so imagine playing your favourite game with super impactful immersive surround-sound and using a super-sized screen!
Did you know?
- All smart home systems are easily managed from dedicated wall-mounted controllers or simple to follow apps on smart devices.
- Smart home functionality is also being included as an option in an increasing number of new builds and renovation projects. Is your next/new home offering this?
- You already have the knowledge you need to control a smart home. If you can work a smart phone or tablet, you can easily control a smart home.
