Smartening Up Your Home on the Cheap

Experts predict that “smart homes” are bound to be a standard in most residential buildings of the future. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know where to begin to give their home a smart upgrade. That’s why our experts at Handyman Connection® of Boise offer these simple DIY solutions that can turn your home into a futuristic hub of smart technology.

Smart Bulbs

A lot of people think that upgrading to a smart home requires some technical and complex installations when it could actually be as simple as screwing in a lightbulb. Consider getting smart lights from brands like TP-Link, Eufy or LIFX. They offer readily connectable light bulbs that can be controlled using an app on your phone.

Smart Plugs

Some smart plugs need a smart hub to operate; however, some models, such as Belkin® WeMo® and TP-Link Smart Plug, are ready right out of the box. Now, you can control the power to your television, radio and computer through an app on your phone. For more functionality, consider consolidating all smart systems into a convenient smart hub for your whole home.

Wi-Fi Thermostats

Turn up the heat, or cool down a room with a swipe of a finger using wifi-enabled programmable thermostats. These devices can be accessed right from your smartphone, or, if you don’t want to fiddle around with too many settings, some models are actually intuitive enough to learn from your habits and automatically make the necessary adjustments. Moreover, the Department of Energy estimates you can save up to 10% to 15% on your annual heating and cooling bills by using a smart thermostat.

Assistants

Perhaps, the most popular assistants available are from Google Home Google Assistant, Amazon Echo with the trustworthy Alexa and even Apple Siri running the Apple HomeKit. These devices act as the “brain” of your smart home, connecting all smart devices and activating them based on your own commands. Installing one in your home is actually quite easy and doesn’t require complicated wiring arrangements as most of these devices connect wirelessly to each other.

Find everything you need for your DIY projects and more at Handyman Connection of Boise. We are your leading provider of smart-enabled gadgets and gizmos as well as other smart upgrades for your home. Give us a call at (208) 268-0088, or fill out our online contact form to request a free estimate today.