Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Bring Automation into your Home

How many times have you driven away from your home and wondered if you forgot to close the garage door or lock the front door? With some clever and convenient new technology, you no longer have to worry.

Cell phones, tablets and PCs can now connect with smart home devices when you’re away to manage everything remotely, from turning on your lawn sprinkler system to regulating your home’s temperature to feeding your pet. When you’re home, you can also use these same devices or a voice-activated mechanism to control your home’s systems conveniently while watching a movie from your couch. All devices can also be combined to talk to each other and seamlessly connect the networks inside your home.

Sounds great, right? But you may be asking about the cost. While some smart home systems can be expensive, we’ve put together a list of a few smart home devices that you can install yourself for $500 or less.

• Doorbells: Answer your door with your smartphone, tablet or PC. With a lot more features than just sound, smart doorbells include motion detection, video and two-way audio features to see, hear or speak to anyone at your door remotely.
• Motorized window treatments: Control light and protect your privacy with the touch of a button. If you’ll be away from home, set a timer to control your blinds automatically so your home will look occupied even when you’re away.
• Thermostats: Connect your thermostat to your home’s Wi-Fi to control the temperature from your phone, tablet or laptop and monitor how much energy you use. There are even smart thermostats that can program themselves to the temperatures you like and adjust the temperature when you’re not home to save energy.
• Locks: Unlock your front door from your car using an app on your phone. No need to search for your keys while carrying in packages. Virtual keys can be made for family and guests—they each get their own code and you get an instant notification when your door opens.

These inexpensive smart home technologies provide a great way to add value to your home and make them more marketable to potential homebuyers.