Nest thermostat.

While the Nest thermostat is a bit of an initial investment at roughly $200, the energy savings can add up very quickly. In two years’ time, your investment will pay for itself, as the Nest thermostat can save you an average of $131 to $145 per year. The many advantages of having a Nest thermostat include being able to track your energy usage, controlling and adjusting your home’s temperature from a mobile app, sending alerts when temperatures drop into a potentially dangerous zone, and lending a watchful eye to outside temperatures and modifying accordingly e.g. giving your heater a break if temperatures rise during wintertime. Many utility companies offer a discount for Nest thermostats, so if you do take the plunge, you can be certain it’s one of the most efficient and wisest energy-saving choices you can make for your home. A popular smart thermostat brand is obvious here: The Nest Learning Thermostat, which is a clear frontrunner when users were asked to vote on 5 different smart thermostats, beating the competition by a whopping 61%.

Video Doorbells.

Smart video doorbells outshine the traditional doorbell by adding several impressive layers of security. Perhaps the biggest pro to having a doorbell that records video is the high-quality 1080p camera, buzzer, and two-way audio, all features you can review via a smart app on your mobile device when you’re not at home. One of many additional advantages include: not having to get close to the door to see who’s there (which can be reviewed on your phone), infrared night vision that allows you to see who’s at your door during daytime and nighttime, and having the option to record and download any suspicious activity. A top smart video doorbell brand suggestion is GuardMe Security, which provides user-friendly systems that are specifically designed with quality in mind.

Roomba Vacuum.

With increasingly busy lives, there are few household items more appealing than the convenience of a device doing your vacuuming for you. A Roomba vacuum might be for you if you are consistently short on time, but they also possess many advanced and appealing features. Such characteristics include the ability to pick up pet hair, effectively clean dirt and dust from bare floors, a long battery life, an easy-empty dust bin and overall ease of use. Roombas also have an affordable price tag compared to other robot vacuums, and is the perfect introduction into the world of high-tech cleaners. Based on user reviews and survey results, the top suggestion for a roomba is the Roomba 650 Vacuum, scoring highest on its performance to thoroughly clean hardwood floors.

Smart lighting.

One of biggest attractions to having smart lighting in your home is the unquestionable energy efficiency it provides. As with many other smart technologies, your home’s LED lighting system can be controlled entirely from your smartphone, and offers voice automation compatibility with popular technologies such as Alexa. Many automated lighting systems also have color options beyond your ordinary yellow or white glow. According to The Fun Times Guide, LED light bulbs are the most energy-efficient, eco-friendly bulbs you can buy, consume 30 times less energy annually than traditional incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer. Of the copious reasons to purchase smart lighting, convenience, routine, safety, fun and productivity sit at the top. For example, if no one is at home, the system knows to turn all lights off to conserve energy. On the other end of the spectrum, they provide a nightlight to help you navigate dark hallways in the middle of the night, and they even put on spectacular light shows. Cree is a popular and reliable brand with positive reviews and has lived up to the hype.

Why you should purchase smart-home technology. If you are looking to sell your home and increase its value, consider spending $1,000 on smart-home purchases. Many of the products above are well-known by buyers who may be seeking them out when purchasing a home. As Angel Pointek has said, “Ease of use and familiarity are really important when you’re trying to use smart-home products to market that house.” Make sure your listing agent knows of the smart-home features you’ve chosen to put in your house so that they can advertise and vouch for them when listing your property. As the demand for smarter, safer, and cleaner energy increases, installing smart-home technologies is a prime opportunity to improve interactions and value to your house.

Sources:
https://www.1sthomeandcommercialservices.com/blog/2017/july/pros-cons-of-the-nest-smart-thermostat/
https://www.guardmesecurity.com/blog/smart-video-doorbells-advantage-home-security/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/shopping/irobot-roomba-650-vacuum-review/
https://www.doityourself.com/stry/10-advantages-of-using-a-robotic-vacuum-cleaner
https://www.protectamerica.com/home-security-blog/tech-tips/the-pros-and-cons-of-smart-lighting-in-2018_21072
https://green.thefuntimesguide.com/smart-lighting-system/

Farrell is a family-owned business that specializes in North Portland. We’ve been here since 1980 and we all love it. In fact, most of us have chosen to work and live here because it’s just where we want to be. Here are 10 reasons why we think you’ll love living in North Portland, too. Continue reading “10 Reasons You’ll Love Living in North Portland” →