To get the most out of your house requires a few upgrades. In some cases it’s simply a matter of adding some creature comforts like a fireplace and in others it means having to put an addition onto your home.

One of the easiest ways to make your home much more pleasant to live in and, at the same time, more efficient is to turn it into a smart home. When you have lots of devices connected to the appliances and fixtures in your home, it can mean being in control in ways you hadn’t imagined.

In this article, we will go over several of the ways your home can benefit by adding a smart system.

1 - Far more security

These days a security system is far more than an alarm if somebody breaks in. They are a total system that you can connect to remotely so you always know what’s happening.

Your front doorbell should have a camera so you can see if somebody is on your porch as the camera is motion activated. If you have been waiting for a delivery, you will see the moment it is delivered. And if somebody tries to steal it before you can get to it, then you will see that, too.

Vivint alarm systems are so integrated that you can also control other aspects of your home remotely in addition to the security systems.

With this system, you can use a smart lock so that you can open the door from anywhere at any time. You can use your phone app to let somebody in like a dog walker or cleaner so you don’t need to give out a key.

Even your garage door can be opened so if you are waiting for a package to be delivered, you can open up the garage for them to put it in there and then close and lock it right after.

2 - Save money on energy

A lot of energy is wasted simply by the fact that you have to manually set things and that causes inefficiencies. When you have a smart home, things like smart thermostats use AI and machine learning so it can predict when you need to heat or cool your home based on when you use it most.

Some of these thermostats also work by monitoring the weather. If a cold front is coming in, it can turn the heat on so it is warm already when you get home. If you have your heating zoned in your house, then your thermostat can even automatically heat only the areas of your house where there is a person. They can detect if a person is in the room and turn the heat in only there.

Even the appliances themselves can be connected by the app so you can monitor their usage and get them more efficient.

Things like blinds can be raised or lowered depending on the temperature and sunlight which can help you with your heating and cooling costs.

3 - Be more time effective

Cooking dinner after work is time consuming. But, when you have a smart home, you can preheat your oven before you even get home so you have a headstart when you get there.

You can have your lawn sprinklers turn on and off depending on the moisture levels present in the lawn. Or, it can even use the weather forecast to determine the best time to activate. If a rainstorm is coming then it won’t activate. Likewise if there hasn’t been any rain in a while.