But all that has changed now with the development and availability of a more advanced home automation technology. Today, any home, both big and small, can become a smart home! And the most important thing is, nearly everything – including security, access control, air conditioning, motorised blinds, irrigation, pool and spa control, energy and solar management, audio/video distribution around the home, and so much more – can be connected to a controllable network that can be accessed even when you’re not at home.

Automated central control systems used to be available only for commercial buildings and really big, expensive houses.They typically utilised a simple control system that used to include automation of lighting, heating and cooling systems, and other super basic building functions. What’s more, it used to be accessible only from specific control areas within the building itself.

Home automation is the use of modern technology that allows access to control all electrical devices and electronic systems automatically – even remotely – through a user-friendly interface. A home that uses a home automation system is also known as a “smart home”.

HOW HOME AUTOMATION WORKS

With home automation, smart devices, home appliances, electrical systems, and even individual points are connected to a local area network where they will have an assigned IP address. This allows the homeowner to monitor, access, and control these devices remotely – even anywhere in the world – through the use of the internet.You can access your automated home through a remote control, a smart device, or a mobile app. Smart homes with a high level of automation often have all of their automated devices accessible through a single smart device and mobile app, which makes controlling your home available right at your fingertips and you can simply do this with a touch of a button.







Home automation makes your home a more comfortable, customised, efficient, and a secure place to live. It provides a high level of functionality, convenience, flexibility, and confidence for the homeowner. Indeed, living in a “smart home” enriches one’s lifestyle while increasing the value of the property.





CHARACTERISTICS OF A SMART HOME



A smart home is no doubt an awesome and appealing place to live but what exactly makes a smart home desirable?





CONFIGURABLE AUTOMATIC FEATURES

A home automation system allows you to configure various devices to work automatically that suits your lifestyle and preference. This is a key characteristic that makes a smart home fantastic and digitally functional!





REMOTE ACCESSIBILITY

Remote monitoring and accessibility is another key characteristic that makes a smart home different and more preferable from non-smart homes. With remote accessibility, you are able to control your devices even when you’re away from home!





BENEFITS OF HOME AUTOMATION

Home automation provides a lot of advantages to the homeowners. This is the reason why converting your home into a “smart home” is something that you will never regret doing. Three of the many benefits of home automation include the following:





SAFETY

The security systems of a smart home are always on guard and at the ready. You can be notified whenever someone, either expected or unexpected guest, arrives at your home. You can also configure a lighting schedule to create an impression that your home is manned, even if it’s not.

Moreover, you can also limit access to your home by giving security access codes only to those who live there, or you can give access to certain areas of the property only. A home automation security system has so much more to offer to ensure that you, your family, and your property are totally safe and secured.





CONVENIENCE

Whether you’re at home or in another part of the world, you have the power to control your devices and appliances in your smart home. For instance, you can automatically adjust the brightness and intensity of your lighting throughout the day without having to stand and go to the switch from time to time. You can also setup your intercom so you can answer calls directly from your smart phone.

There are several things that you can do with an automated home – and all of these things work to make sure that you are provided with so much convenience that you’ll wonder how you’ve ever lived in a non-automated home before.





ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Generally, a “smart home” promotes substantial energy savings. Being able to configure the system to control lighting, cooling and heating systems, and essentially any other devices that are connected to your home automation network allows you to manage and monitor your power usage.

Technically, a smart home is able to minimize energy usage because devices can be programmed to turn off automatically when they’re not in use. Imagine the savings you can make on operations costs and utilities when you turn your home into a smart home!





FUTURE PROOFING YOUR HOME

Home automation is the best way to future proof your abode. Being able to customise and design a user-friendly and easily upgradeable system that meets your needs and preferred specifications is necessary for the ever-evolving technological expectation of building the homes of today and tomorrow. Central heating, fitted kitchens, and double glazing have become standard features for new houses, yet the construction industry has been slow to adapt to new technological developments that enhance our lifestyles. Houses have been wired the same way for decades and yet how we communicate with each other, listen to music, watch TV, and do basic things has changed dramatically.





We have become accustomed to multi-room AV distribution and high speed internet in our daily lives. These are important aspects that house builders, engineers, property developers, architects, and even real estate consultants must consider when designing electrical systems.

Nowadays, modern homes need to be built with so much flexibility – mindfully and heartfully taking into consideration these technological innovations. The key is to future proof your home right at the planning and designing stage. Future proofing new homes is essential. After all, we need to be prepared to embrace every new technology as it flourishes…in all its glory.