Benefits of Home Automation
Home automation is a smart home solution that allows pre-set automation of compatible electronic and electrical devices/systems within the home. These systems can include and are not restricted to security alarms, reticulation, home cinemas, outdoor music, multi-room audio-visual systems, lighting, motorised blinds, A/C, home heating, etc. A home automation system will integrate these systems to operate in a specified sequence at a specified time or pre-set trigger (e.g. sunrise, sunset, door opening, motion detection, etc).
There are many benefits to having home automation and our top ten are:
- Money Saving –Home automation can assist in creating a greener and more cost effective home. As lighting is a major player in power consumption, home automation allows you to set the levels to 70%, which is hardly noticeable, and turn on and off at designated times or with certain triggers such as entering the room. Another major area of cost is water consumption, home automation allows you to set your reticulation to limit watering during selected months or seasons, you can also adjust watering in relation to the weather, in particular – rain.
- Time Saving – Conveniently located touchscreens can allow you to override an automated sequence. An example of this is by selecting “Party” you can override the dimly set Al Fresco lighting that were set to adjust at sunset to raising the lighting and turning on music at a pre-set volume. Automation of everyday tasks performed in several rooms around the home (lights on and off, blinds opened and closed, etc) will save time, the time saved once may not be much but imagine adding up those saved minutes over a day, a week, a month. This will equate to more time for family, friends, relaxation or doing what makes you happy.
- Personalisation – Create a series of events with your home automation system to suit your lifestyle such as setting work days to begin with lights slowly raising to 70% in the bedroom, selected motorised blinds in the home to open and music or your preferred radio station to begin on a pre-set volume throughout the home.
- Aged Benefits – As people age certain tasks become more difficult and tiring, in addition to this advancing technology can be very confusing to some and home automation can be the answer to the confusion. Allowing the home automation system to start and finish their day at pre-determined times or with certain triggers it can relieve them of the confusing tasks of turning systems on and off. For safety, the automation system can be programmed to detect movement and adjust lighting accordingly.
- Peace of Mind – Whilst you have certain tasks automated by pre-programmed times or selecting the function on a smart device as you leave the home, home automation systems allow you to log in to double check that the devices/systems that you want on are on and the ones that you want off are off.
- Lifestyle Adaptation – as your lifestyle changes from singles/couples to young family to empty nesters and the more mature, rest assured that a home automation system can easily be changed to suit your evolving lifestyle without the need to change or remove systems.
- Personal safety – When arriving home a sensor can be set through your home automation system to know when you are in your garage. At this time the gates and roller doors can close behind you followed by disarming the alarm, unlocking the home access door with lighting now on. You can now unlock your car and enter your home safely.
- Property safety – security alarm systems and access control systems can be programmed through a home automation system to arm/lock when you are leaving the property. You can also have the ability to view your home and alarm status via your smartphone.
- Intruder notification – automation will allow you to received push notifications on your smart phone should someone trigger your alarm or cross an area covered by a CCTV camera. This will allow you to view the home, assess the urgency and contact a neighbour, family member or police to attend if required.
- Resale Value – should you choose to leave your automated piece of heaven, home automation is a valuable selling point.