10 Smart Renovation Tips to Upgrade Your Manhattan Home

You may have spent endless hours thinking that your house needs a significant face-lift after a year spent mostly indoors. Beyond the new mattress or accent pillows that many of us recently purchased, however, smart renovations can make your space more livable and ease daily tasks.

Almost all of the appliances in your house, such as the air conditioners, thermostats, lighting, video doorbells, and garage doors, may be connected to the internet and operated remotely using a smartphone or smart speaker.

But putting together a "smart home" can be confusing because there are so many different accessories, some of which operate better than others and only with specific goods.

This manual prepared for you by KS Renovation will help you navigate the confusion and become accustomed to your first voice-controlled smart home.

How To Make Your House Smart In Manhattan & Save Your Money

Making sensible improvements can lower your energy expenses, increase convenience, and strengthen the security of your house.

This year, homebuyers spent more time at home, so they weren't only looking for ideal space; they also wanted modern technology. If you own a home, you can often increase the value of your property by making a few easy modifications.

Top 10 Easy Tips To Make Your Home Smart In Manhattan

1. Choose the Right Home Assistant

If the owner cannot control it, even a house outfitted with the newest technology will be of little service. A virtual assistant, such as Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa, will enable voice control of smart home devices.

By giving short orders like "Alexa, turn on the lights," users of virtual voice-controlled assistants like Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant, and Amazon's Alexa can efficiently operate smart home devices.

Choose the tool that will be more likely to meet your needs because each of these tools has strengths and weaknesses:

Amazon Alexa:

Pros:

1. The most excellent option for launching a smart home quickly is to get an Echo product. The Echo devices from Amazon are simple to set up and plug in wherever you need to call Alexa.
2. One of the market's most affordable smart home controllers is the $50 Echo Dot, the tiny speaker.
3. With more than 10,000 Skills or third-party capabilities, Alexa is the smart home hub with the most widespread acceptance.
4. Apple and Android smartphones are compatible with smartphone apps for configuring Echo products.

Cons:

1. Some smart home items cannot be installed without the Amazon Alexa app for iPhones and Android phones, which can be cumbersome.
2. When you ask Alexa to do anything, it can be challenging for it to do so.
3. Typically, the speakers on Echo items are subpar.
4. Alexa cannot be activated by speaking to a smartphone; you must talk to the speaker directly.
5. According to Amazon's privacy statement, it accepts no liability for third-party products that integrate with Alexa. Put another way; it is your responsibility to learn what third-party home accessory firms can do with the information they gather about you.

Hubs, like the Wink Connected House Hub, are also simple and affordable tools for managing a digital home.

Google's Assistant:

Pros:

1. Assistant features on Google's Home speaker and Android-powered smartphones.
2. Google Home is $50 less expensive than Amazon's regular Echo speaker at $130.
3. The brains of Google search drive Assistant generally have greater artificial intelligence than Alexa and Siri. As a result, you may ask a broader range of questions and are more likely to receive an accurate answer.

Cons:

1. It becomes unpleasant to command the Assistant by saying, "Ok, Google."
2. Alexa is supported by considerably more smart home gadgets than Google Assistant.
3. The audio quality of Google Home is only fair.
4. Even while the Assistant is a little smarter than other virtual assistants, it still has issues and sometimes fails to handle requests correctly.
5. Google's privacy statement for the information it gathers with Google Home is ambiguous. Google collects information "to make our services quicker, smarter, more relevant, and useful to you," the statement reads.

Apple's Siri:‍

Pros:

1. Apple worked closely with home accessories manufacturers to ensure that all data exchanged between accessories and Apple devices were safe, secure, and encrypted.
2. Setting up Siri with household items is significantly more straightforward, thanks to Apple's HomeKit's inclusion in mobile devices.

Cons:

1. Fewer smart home accessories enable Siri because it has taken longer for them to reach the market, partly due to Apple's strict privacy standards.
2. Sometimes, Siri has problems comprehending what you're asking of it.
3. Siri is only available on Apple devices.

Read more about smart home technology in your blog.

2. Monitor a Home With A Smart Camera

Anywhere in the home can be used to install the Nest Cam, which broadcasts 1080p wide-angle video directly to a computer or smartphone. The camera is a helpful device for monitoring entrances or keeping an eye on a young child in a room or crib. In addition, all recorded videos may be accessed through the cloud, and the Nest Cam can send warnings directly to a phone if it notices anything suspicious.

If you want to save money (and don't want to hassle with cords in the attic), skip the wired security cameras. One charge for battery-operated cameras often lasts several months to a year and is simple to use and attach. In contrast, installing a wired security system could cost up to $1,600.

A wireless security camera, like the $100 Ring Doorbell, which is always popular, is a terrific place to start for a do-it-yourself smart upgrade.

To test your new security feature, just cut the doorbell power, unplug the old doorbell, connect the new one, and turn it on. Other wireless doorbell cameras could run you $50 or less.

Discover for yourself more smart home technology with KS Renovation Group.

3. Use a Smart Power Shutoff Switch for Peace of Mind

Some homeowners worry about leaving devices and appliances on while on vacation. Belkin's WeMo switch allows you to turn on and off electronics throughout the house wirelessly. The gadget plugs into standard outlets and establishes a connection with your palm using a smartphone app. It allows owners to wirelessly turn off devices and observe what is on in a home.

This way, you can turn an entire system on and off along with the primary device instead of manually moving a bunch of switches — or even a power strip.

4. Have Good Night With A Smart Mattress Cover

Smart Mattress Cover improves sleep for people who want to drink less coffee. The mattress cover is designed to fit over an existing mattress and includes a variety of sensors that can communicate with another tech to guarantee sound sleep.

The gadget can monitor data, including a user's heart rate, body temperature, and sleep. It can utilize the data it gathers, for instance, to instruct a smart alarm clock to sound after a sleep cycle or change the thermostat if your body temperature rises too much at night.

The device won't have any learning curve, and it will fit right into your life. It will seamlessly work with other Wi-Fi-enabled home appliances like lights, coffee makers, thermostats, etc.

Your morning ritual will soon be almost finished the instant you wake up; the lights will be on, the coffee will be brewed, and dreary mornings will finally be a thing of the past.

5. Use Smart Switches to Light Up Outdoor

The Jasco Z-Wave outdoor modules make it simpler to extend smart home technology outside. The tiny gadgets may be attached to exterior fixtures like lights, fans, pool pumps, and water heaters, enabling remote control of each device from a smartphone. Even better, you can use the app to schedule outside lights and choreograph them into a show for your visitors.

The primary benefit of smart outdoor lights is that they remove the need for bulky, heavily wired, or unaesthetic outdoor switches. Lights can be activated in several intelligent ways, including motion, timing schedules, darkness sensors, or a wall-mounted smart panel.

The main benefit is that you can dim and change the colors of fittings to set an atmosphere for your garden or the exterior of your building.

6. Keep Things Tidy With A Smart Robot Vacuum

Although the Roomba is arguably the most well-known smart device, that doesn't imply it isn't helpful. The little circular robot is simple to configure to work semi-autonomously and can be set to begin cleaning a home at predetermined periods. The Roomba may learn from each use and will eventually start to determine the most effective cleaning paths while avoiding furniture, tables, and chairs.

Its superior cleaning technology maintains a clean floor while being small and very effective. This smart cleaning gadget is appropriate for those who have mobility issues or lack time to vacuum floors and carpets physically.

7. Jam Out with A Smart Audio System

Installing an audio system is one of the simplest (and most enjoyable) ways to start making a house smart. Small and portable, the Sonos Play:1 can easily play music from services like Spotify, Google Play Music, Pandora, and SiriusXM. It's a terrific starting point from which to develop a more comprehensive home audio system because the sound system is so simple to use and operate.

The absence of wires is a wireless sound system's main advantage. This enables you to increase the audience for your entertainment without compromising your style or undergoing a lengthy installation. You simply need the wire that connects your speaker to its power source.

8. Go Green with Home Solar Power

One of the most acceptable ways to protect the environment and obtain clean, sustainable energy is to go solar. The benefits of installing solar panels on a home are particularly advantageous due to the range of federal and state incentives available to those who do so.

Federal tax incentives allow homeowners to recover up to 30% of the cost of a residential solar system. As opposed to the utilitarian-looking grey and blue cell types, some producers are starting to create all-black solar shingles that just slide onto a roof.

With a smart thermostat and lighting assistance, you can simultaneously reduce your household's energy use. You'll experience more cost savings when solar panels are used with an energy-efficient home.

9. Power Up with Smart Light Bulbs

A room's mood and energy can be drastically changed by using smart lightbulbs that can be turned on and off with the touch of a smartphone button. In addition to lowering electricity costs, adjustable LED lighting from manufacturers like Philips Hue and General Electric's Link bulb will live much longer than conventional bulbs.

They have reduced energy usage. Smart lights can lower the amount of electricity used to illuminate a room since they use CFL or LED bulbs rather than incandescent ones. Smart bulbs with Energy Star certification consume 70 to 90 percent less energy than conventional bulbs.

Increased lifespan. A typical incandescent bulb lasts between 750 and 2,000 hours. Your lights will last longer thanks to the LED smart lights, which can operate continuously for 35,000 to 50,000 hours.

Improved safety. The best smart lighting alternatives frequently have motion-detection capabilities that allow lamps to turn on or off based on whether someone is in the space. When unexpected motion is detected indoors or outside, this feature can be programmed to send warnings to mobile devices.

10. Breathe Easy With Smart Air Monitors

Overlooked dangerous gases, such as carbon monoxide, can swiftly flood a house. The Nest Protect monitor keeps an eye out for smoke and other harmful chemicals in a home and immediately notifies a phone if it sees anything.

Other intelligent air monitors, such as the Awair Air Quality Monitor, may also track the number of pollutants or known allergens in a home and offer recommendations on enhancing air quality.

Pollutants, particulate matter, hazardous gases, and other contaminants can all be found with a smart air quality monitoring solution. Through Internet of Things (IoT)-based sensors that can be accessed remotely through a central administration dashboard, it aids in the real-time monitoring of your surroundings.

With the various technologies currently available, they are making a smart home has never been more straightforward. Numerous devices are offered at multiple price points, so any homeowner's pocketbook should be satisfied.

Making a house smart can reduce energy costs, provide peace of mind, and increase the asking and selling prices. It's also a terrific method to wow guests from friends and family.

Working on your home can take a lot of time and effort.

KS Renovation Group wants to help you offload your precious time.

Schedule a free consultation with KS Renovation Group and make your home smarter.