One Agency Mildura | How to add comfort, convenience and security to your home life with a smart home

How to add comfort, convenience and security to your home life with a smart home

REAL ESTATE

Hey Google! You may have heard the terms Home Automation and Smart Home previously. You may even know someone who has purchased the latest Google Home device – but what does a smart home actually mean? How can it benefit your lifestyle? And can home automation add value to your property?

The terms Home Automation and Smart Home, mean different things to different people – some may think of an automated home theatre system, while others may think of an integrated home security system. 

In reality home automation, and creating a smart home, is about using current technology in ways that enhances your family’s lifestyle through added convenience, comfort, and security – all while adding value to your home.

We recently met with John Tasci from AV Australia to discuss home automation, how to benefit from it, and what to consider when planning to automate your home.

What is a Smart Home and what benefits can it bring?

A Smart Home is able to enhance your family’s lifestyle through added convenience, comfort, efficiency and security. When implemented well, a Smart Home can add to the enjoyment of your home, while at the same time saving you time and money; particularly on energy and water usage costs. You may be considering automating your home, or potentially your parents’ home, to improve comfort and lifestyle. 

Within the Mildura property market, we are seeing more and more homes have elements of home automation – and buyers are loving it too. With the added benefits of lifestyle convenience, efficiency and security, buyers are seeing the value and are prepared to pay for a Smart Home.

Almost anything in your home that powers on-and-off can be controlled from a simple touch panel or iPad app – be it interior and exterior lights, televisions, audio systems, air-conditioning, heating, security cameras and even garden sprinklers!  

Imagine a single button on a touch-panel beside your bed, being able to “shut down” your home at night – turning off the music and television, turning down the heater, dimming the lights, and arming the security system. Then imagine using the same button, the next morning, to “start-up” your home, including opening blinds, boiling the kettle, and even turning on your shower to be at your preferred temperature. This is all possible.

Improving your home’s security is another common reason for automating your home. Imagine having a fully-integrated security system, where if someone rings your door-bell, your phone (or multiple phones) will be alerted with a visual representation of who is there. You may then choose to communicate with the person, ask them to leave a message, or be discreet and not respond. 

With Mildura’s extreme weather conditions, think of how much more comfortable your home life could be. Say you are several hours away from home. With a single click on an app, you could turn on the heating or air-conditioning in your home and let it run on a low speed – before everyone gets home. This could very well save on energy costs, as compared to getting home and having to turn on heating or cooling on a high speed, to make your home comfortable again. 

This technology exists today, and has become increasing cost efficient over the past 10 years. Any Smart Home system can be tailored to your specific requirements and budget. Gone are the days, where basic home automation features cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Nowadays, with improved and established communication platforms, setting up and installing Smart Home components is easier than ever.

Seek advice from a trusted professional – always.

Always speak with professionals who can provide you with an unbiased opinion and provide value-added insight. 

If you are thinking about making your existing home smart, or if you are planning to build your dream home, contact John from AV Australia for a complementary consultation. If you are planning to build, even if you are not sure of which Smart Home features you may need, it would be wise to install cabling throughout the home – to then give you the option of implementing Smart Home features in future. 

If you are considering automating your home, and you’d like to know what features potential buyers in the future may like, contact the One Agency Mildura team for a chat. A conversation with one of our friendly team will help you identify potential focus areas – to help you maximise your sales price when you are ready to sell.

With our agents being Mildura’s most trusted real estate agents, they are well placed to provide you with their view of the current market based on their local experience. They’ll thoroughly guide you through the sales and presentation process and help you take advantage of this opportune time in the market.