Turning a house into a smart house will require you to purchase multiple smart gadgets, such as smart bulbs, speakers, sensors, security cameras, smart TV, and connect them all to a single hub to help them communicate with each other. Then you can use your smartphone to control them. And all this will cost you a lot of money easily, not to forget too much of your time. But what if I told you, without having to spend a lot of money, can you get most of the conveniences of a high-end smart house?
The dependency of gadgets on a smart home hub is what makes a full-fledged smart home so expensive. Although it makes it easier to control them from a single interface, it doesn’t always matter. Just make sure you buy the smart home products that are mutually compatible and don’t rely on a hub to be controlled.
Let’s look at ways to turn your house into an intelligent house.
A Router for Wireless
Before you talk about the smart gadgets, make sure you have a good router that covers every corner of your house. Wireless connectivity is required for all smart gadgets. If they are unable to connect to your router or if the link is weak, problems may arise in controlling them. So, get the right wireless router.
Smart television streaming
It can be very expensive to buy a smart TV with pre-installed applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. So, if you have an LED or LCD or any TV, you can directly stream online media content to it using smart TV streaming devices such as Amazon TV Fire Stick. You can watch on it your favorite shows, movies, live television, sports, etc.
It’s quite easy to search for content on it. Just press the remote button and ask Alexa to find any show or movie you want to watch. Much more can be done by fire stick. There are a lot of Fire Stick Tricks on the internet that you can use to stream content for free. An Amazon TV Fire Stick is a very popular smart gadget that costs less than $40.
Connected Outlets
One of the simplest smart home accessories is an intelligent outlet. It’s going to cost you about $20-$40, and you can turn on any device that’s plugged in. Simply plug this into the socket of the wall and plug in your TV, lamp, radio, etc. You can then use an app or the voice assistant (Google Assistant, Alexa) to control this smart plug on your phone.
Smart Lights
No matter how old your house is, adding smart lights to it is very simple. You simply need to screw smart lights into a socket. Many smart lights don’t need a hub, and they’re still able to interact with other smart gadgets. Smart lights enabled by Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi are available on the market, which can easily be controlled from your phone. You can turn on or off a schedule using smart bulbs, program lightning scenes, etc.
Cameras for intelligent security
When you’re away, a clever security camera can help you keep an eye on your home. It works just like any other camera for security. What makes it different is that on your smartphone you can watch live video from it. You can use outdoor cameras to keep an eye on whoever comes in the vicinity of your house and use an indoor camera to watch what your kid or pet does while you’re away. Most of these cameras are equipped with motion sensors and ping you on your phone whenever movement occurs.
It can be a costly process to turn your house into a smart house. But you can do it with the right device without spending a lot. Look for smart gadgets that suit your needs and choose them according to their features.