How to Rethink Home Building With Smart Home Technology

The global smart home market is expanding at warp speed. What used to be a niche element of the housing market just a decade ago is now becoming the norm. Estimated to be worth approximately $46.8 billion by the end of 2021, the industry has officially gone mainstream.

But for the most part, smart homes are designed retrospectively, with renovations and add-ons making up the bulk of today’s systems. That could be changing, however, as smart home building gains momentum. 

Smart Home in Florida

The Case for Smart Home Technology

Smart home technology is best defined as the suite of tools, devices, networks, and systems that connect to provide independent and automatic control of various functions of the home. This may include security, utilities, lighting, surveillance, or even appliances. 

The biggest advantages of smart home technology – and the reason that homeowners are adopting it in large numbers – are as follows:

  • Convenience. Smart home technology provides an incredible amount of convenience. Whether it’s turning on the oven while you’re driving from work, accessing a doorbell surveillance feed while in the airport, or dimming lights while sitting on the sofa, almost anything can be done with a few clicks of a button (or some well-timed words).
  • Efficiency. Depending on the type of smart home technology you use, it can reduce your energy consumption and promote better sustainability in the home. This increased energy efficiency can instantly turn a home into a green piece of architecture. 
  • Cost-savings. Convenience and efficiency provide cost savings. Though it can be expensive on the front end, smart home technology generally provides a healthy amount of savings on the back end. (It can also increase the value of your home at resale.)

When you combine these three factors, it becomes clear that smart home technology has staying power. The only question is, should we rethink how we implement it?

Smart Technology for Homes

The “Old Way” vs. “New Way”

Because smart home technology is still new, 99 percent of homes with smart technology are homes that already existed and had new features installed into them on an “aftermarket” basis. And while there’s nothing wrong with this, a “new way” is emerging. We’re seeing the first flood of new construction smart homes hit the market and the benefits are clear. 

  • Wired vs. wireless. While we’ve gone away from wired technology as a culture over the past decade, this is a place where wired beats wireless. Wired smart home technology is much more reliable, streamlined, and secure. 
  • Tailored to your needs. When you add an aftermarket smart home feature, you have to work around the existing layout and design of the home. This may force you to place a certain appliance or system in a location that’s not as convenient as it could be. With new home construction, you get to install everything in a precise location that works for you.
  • Less invasive installation. The new way of introducing smart home technology into a house allows you to plan out an installation when you’re still drawing up the floor plans. This means no cutting, drilling, or removing drywall just to install something.

There are also some potential negatives associated with new construction smart homes. For example, it’s not as easy to upgrade or remove the technology after it becomes dated. (You can look at intercom systems from the 1980s and 1990s as an example of this.) Secondly, it requires you to assume how you’ll use the house prior to actually living in the home first. 

But if you compare the old way to the new way, the benefits far outweigh the concerns. And if building a house is in the cards for you and your family, you should consider going “smart” from the start. 

Florida Smart Homes

Smart Home Technology to Consider

Smart home technology is more sophisticated and better connected than ever before. It’s no longer just the Amazon Alexa or Google Home – there are advanced smart systems that can be incorporated into every room of the house. And if you do it the “new way,” they can be built into the house from the start. This includes:

  • Heating and cooling. The heating and cooling system is one of the most expensive and important parts of a home. But with significant advances in smart technology, it’s now possible to reduce cost, increase comfort, and avoid many of the frustrations that are typically associated with upkeep and maintenance. Options include smart thermostats, smart vents, whole-home humidifiers, and even ceiling fans that turn on and off in order to maintain the appropriate temperature inside a room.
  • Security and safety. Security may be the fastest-growing segment of the smart home industry. This includes integrated systems that connect devices like door locks, security cameras, doorbell cameras, and smoke detectors. But it also extends into areas like mold sensors and water leak detection. (You can even turn off your home’s main water supply with an app.)
  • Kitchen and bath. In new construction homes, we’re seeing increases in the installation of smart appliances (which includes dishwashers, refrigerators, and even ovens). In the bathroom, smart showerheads and smart floors (heating/cooling) are common.
  • Lighting. With smart light bulbs, it’s possible to totally optimize the mood and experience of any room. Not only do smart bulbs last for a long time – like 30,000 hours – but homeowners can dim/brighten, change colors, and turn on/off remotely.

This is just a small sampling of the smart home technology on the market. As the market expands, we’ll continue to see new innovations reorient this space from the inside out.

Rethink Your Next Home

It might be time to rethink how you view real estate and invest in a home that’s designed to fit your modern lifestyle. If you’re looking for a smart home in Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Singer Island, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter Abacoa, or Palm Beach, there’s plenty of new construction to choose from. 

Contact Modern Living and we’ll help you find the ideal property for your needs! 

Posted by Emily Sehres on
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Reading this blog has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of smart home construction. The emphasis on sustainability, security, and convenience is a winning combination for the homes of tomorrow.

Posted by rightangledevelopers on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023 at 5:51am

This informative and forward-thinking guide! This blog on rethinking home building with smart home technology provides valuable insights for those seeking to embrace modern living and enhance their homes with cutting-edge advancements.

Posted by Right Angle Developers on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024 at 4:49am

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