How to Make Your Apartment a Smart Home

By now everyone is familiar with the concept of the smart home. But what about the millions of people in the UK who live in flats? Apartment dwellers are often left out of the conversation about smart home technology and adaptation, but there's no reason you need to forego the benefits of smart tech if you live in an apartment. In this post, we'll look at how to make your apartment a smart home.

How to Make Your Apartment a Smart Home: 5 Simple Changes

Smart home technology is not exclusively “smart house” technology. Virtually all the components that make up a smart home system can be adapted to apartment life. Here are 5 smart home components you can use to up the IQ of your humble apartment.

1: Smart lights

Smart lighting is a staple of the smart home. There are myriad smart lights available that can be installed without making any permanent changes to the apartment. Simply set them up, install the accompanying app on your mobile device and you can have complete control over them. Most can also be triggered by motion sensors, cameras or other devices. With smart lights, you'll save on your electric bill.

2: Smart sockets

Smart sockets are programmable sockets that provide control over the devices plugged into them. You can plug in a coffee maker and programme it to turn it on at 8 am. Plug in a fan and schedule it to turn on and off during the evening. If you have table lamps you can plug them in and programme them to turn on and off at a predetermined time. Security and energy savings are the big benefits here.

3: Smart smoke detectors

All apartments need to have smoke detectors. It’s the law. But standard smoke detectors only alert you to a fire if you happen to be home. Smart smoke detectors can be synced to your smartphone and alert you wherever you are that there’s a fire and you should get back to your apt asap. Also, if you accidentally trigger the smart detector by burning some food you can silence it using your phone rather than having to get up on a ladder to do it manually.

4: Smart locks

Hands-free keyless entry is a safe and convenient way to get into your apartment when you’re carrying grocery bags or other items. “But how do I access the smartphone to unlock the door if my hands are busy?” you ask. Good question with a simple answer. There are smart locks available that will automatically unlock based on the GPS location of your phone.

5: Smart security cams

There is no reason apartment dwellers can’t have security cams in their flat that are linked to their smartphone. Set them up to turn on automatically when you typically go to bed. Or if you’re leaving on holiday, schedule them to be on the whole time you’re gone. This way if there are any problems you can be alerted wherever you are in the world.

Contact Connect Automation to learn more or to arrange a consultation.