Smart Phones to Smart Homes

Smart phones have been available to us for years and each upgrade offers us a new function and control that we may have thought impossible 10 or 15 years ago.  It’s no surprise that we are making the leap from our phone to our entire home.

We can control air conditioning, heating, garage doors, door locks, inside and outside lighting, alarms, video, music and more all from our phone or tablet.  New features are being added almost daily.

Things to consider when thinking of upgrading to a smart home.

1. You must have reliable cellular data coverage.  Because most smart home systems rely on WiFi with minimum speed requirements.  You can have all the latest gadgets in the world, but if you don’t have the capability they need to run correctly, you are setting yourself up for frustration.
2. Research all in one companies that provide multiple features that complement each other.  Purchasing multiple different brands with different apps and functions may be fine if you are only utilizing 2-3 smart home applications.  However, if you are planning to integrate more features, going with a brand designed to work together in several different aspects of your home will probably give you a better experience.
3. Know what you want and what you feel like you have to have before purchasing anything.  Do you only want automated lights and door locks?  Or are you looking to control everything in your home from the thermostat to the television programming?  The capability is there and upgrades can be made fairly easily.  Making sure you know what you want and are able to easily communicate this to your chosen professional installer (which we recommend, as well) will streamline the process for both of you.

Smart homes are no longer a far off dream shown to us in movies or children’s shows.  They are here now, available to you, and getting bigger and bolder with each passing day.  If you do your research and keep the tips above in mind, construction or converting to a smart home can, literally, be in the palm of your hand.

Butler Heating & Air is proud to offer Schlage LiNK.  Contact them for more information via their website or by calling 417-256-7984.  Visit them at the Southern Missouri Builders Home & Garden Show, Booths 301 & 302, March 2 & 3, 2018 at the West Plains Civic Center.