{"id":4227,"date":"2021-08-04T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T17:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summerhillhomes.com\/blog\/?p=4227"},"modified":"2023-04-30T01:50:57","modified_gmt":"2023-04-30T08:50:57","slug":"build-a-smarter-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.summerhillhomes.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/04\/build-a-smarter-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Build a Smarter Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Having a connected home is no longer a science-fiction\nfantasy. Today\u2019s smart home technology can help us feel more like the Jetsons\nthan ever before. You can use your phone to unlock your door, adjust the\nlights, and even turn on the air conditioner. You can answer the door even when\nyou\u2019re not at home. And robots can vacuum your living space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to become overwhelmed by the seemingly endless options of smart home devices that are now available, never mind figuring out where to begin. If you\u2019ve been thinking of adding smart home technology to your home, here\u2019s an easy way to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choose how connected you want to be<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you begin planning your smart home design, think about\nhow connected you want to be. You can keep it simple with a few smart devices\nor you can go all out and automate everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start small<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Outfitting your home with smart devices is an investment, especially if you\u2019re not sure how useful some of the devices can be (do you really need a smart fridge?). Thankfully, you don\u2019t need to fully automate your home from the start. You can gradually build your smart home one device at a time. Choose a single device that\u2019s the most useful for your lifestyle and then add other devices as you find necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decide how to control your smart home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways you can control your smart home:\nindividually through each device\u2019s app or from a central hub. If you have a few\nsmart devices, managing them through their individual app is no issue. It\u2019s\nwhen you begin to create a larger system of connected devices that it tends to\nget tedious. That\u2019s where smart hubs come in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smart home hubs allow you to control all of your smart devices\nfrom one source. You can choose a regular smart hub, like the Wink or Samsung\nSmartThings hub that doesn\u2019t have voice control or you can choose one with an\nintegrated voice assistant, like Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit to\nname a few. Whatever one you choose, make sure your chosen devices are\ncompatible with your hub so you\u2019re able to expand over time.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check your Wi-Fi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every smart device requires a strong internet connection. That\u2019s how they\u2019re able to communicate with other devices and connect to the Internet. Slow or spotty internet is frustrating and can cause your smart devices to not work properly. The first step to building a smart home is checking your WiFi strength. You can use tools to assess your home\u2019s signal strength and identify weak spots. If you have dead spots, try relocating your router to an open, central location in your home. Here are some additional ways you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/10-ways-to-boost-your-wi-fi-signal\">boost your Wi-Fi signal<\/a>. &nbsp;If you do need an additional boost to your signal strength, you can invest in extra devices to help like a Wi-Fi range extender or mesh network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep your home network secure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to keep your system safe from hackers is using\na unique password for each device, including your router. Use a strong\npassword, don\u2019t share it with others, and change it regularly. Password\nmanagers are a great way to help keep track of passwords. If your devices or\nrouter allow for guest access, use that so visitors can connect to your Wi-Fi\nnetwork without having to give up your password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smart home devices make our homes more convenient to live in and thankfully creating your own home automation system doesn\u2019t require an advanced degree. Choosing devices that best fit your needs allows you to create a system that\u2019s tailormade for your home. Smart home automation works hand in hand with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.summerhillhomes.com\/go-green\">green building standards<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SummerHill Homes is dedicated to designing and building distinctive new homes in the most sought-after neighborhoods in the Bay Area. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.summerhillhomes.com\/\">SummerHillHomes.com<\/a> to learn more about our vibrant communities and homes today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having a connected home is no longer a science-fiction fantasy. Today\u2019s smart home technology can help us feel more like the Jetsons than ever before. You can use your phone to unlock your door, adjust the lights, and even turn on the air conditioner. You can answer the door even when you\u2019re not at home. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10,452],"tags":[42,459,437,341,438],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Build a Smarter Home - SummerHill Homes Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Having a connected home is no longer a science-fictionfantasy. 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