Home automation makes things simpler and easier for homeowners. With automation, you can save time, energy, and money on many of the things that you already use everyday. This gives you better control over your home and helps you make more strategic decisions about your home and how you interact with it. More homeowners are having smart home tech installed than previously, according to the Joint Center For Housing Studies. This shows some of the enormous appeal that automating a home is currently generating.
There are many ways that you can automate your home from the simple to the complex, and it's possible to automate nearly every area from the exterior on in. Some areas and home automation methods will be more affordable than others. You'll need to weigh these costs alongside the benefits you may receive from each one to make the best decision possible about automating your home.
A Visual Look at Automating Your Home
We've broken down home automation area by area within the home to make it easier for you to see the general costs of each section. The average cost to install each home automation is broken down by room and by device so you can see the total for fully automating an entire section or by investing in one specific thing at a time.
All costs are estimates based on a 2,000 square foot home and the average number of lights, windows, and plugs that a home this size may have. Your costs may differ if you have different needs for your space.
A Closer Look At Automation Costs
The interesting thing about home automation is how versatile it is. It's possible to automate your entire home or a single room depending on your needs. It's also possible to automate both the interior and exterior, as well as the entrances.
When it comes to the exterior of the home, there isn't quite as much to do as there is for the inside. Your front door, garage, and lawn can all be automated for a total of $800, helping you make your home both more secure and easier to care for and access.
When it comes to interiors, the options get a lot more versatile, allowing you to automate certain areas of the entire home or single rooms depending on your needs. For example, you can automate all the lights in your home for a total of $2,250, or you can automate your bedroom blinds only for $6,500.
This level of customization is what's so important about home automation; it's not a one size fits all service. Even in areas like the kitchen, which bundle appliances to get the best costs, it is possible to break apart separate appliances or lighting to get a more custom approach to automation in your home.
Helpful Tips for Automating Your Home
With so many options and associated costs for automating your home, it's important to take a few things into consideration when choosing what to automate. Cost is one factor, but so is the use and convenience of the item.
Home automation is a great idea, but there are definitely times when automating something may not actually be that beneficial. For example, you may not need automated lighting in guest bedrooms or seldom used spaces. Therefore, you should weigh how much use you feel you'll get out of the automation and weigh this against its cost and any potential savings. For example, you may find that automated lights and a thermostat help keep your energy bills down. On the other hand, you may find that while automated blinds work well in the master bedroom, they're wasted on your teenager who prefers they remain closed.
Look into how much some upgrades may help you save on energy bills as well. Some upgrades may save you enough that they will pay for themselves over time, along with the convenience, while others may not save you money at all. In this case, you'll need to determine whether or not the convenience of it will be enough to justify the purchase.
Finally, in any case, look for home automation that is customizable and adaptable. Things are constantly changing in the IT world, so having flexible tech in your home will help keep it relevant longer. Purchasing items that can support ITTT (If This Then That) can also help you get more out of a single device, extending its usefulness.
Automate Affordably
Not all areas of home automation are truly affordable yet, but they seem to be moving in that direction. Make decisions for your home based in part on affordability and in part by usefulness to get the best experience for your home.