The advent of smart technology has revolutionised the way we work, so it only makes sense that we would embrace it in our personal lives as well! More homeowners are adopting smart home systems and technology as home automation has become more affordable, with lower barriers to entry.
There are many advantages to having a smart home. You can save money on your energy bills, you can keep an eye on your property even when you’re not there, and you can increase your home’s security. However, there are also some disadvantages to consider. Today we will present the pros and cons of a smart home.
Pro: Ease of mind & Higher Quality of Life
One of the main advantages of a smart home is having the flexibility and the ability to take your mind off tedious, mentally taxing stresses. Imagine the need to rush to work on a Monday morning, with both kids in your arms and running around the house to ensure that all aircons, fans and lights are powered off.
With a smart home, you can program your devices to power off with a single “Goodbye” command or at a specific timing when everyone is surely out of the house. Instead of focusing on the nitty gritty details like flicking the switches, users now can focus on the safety of their child or ponder about how to solve their issue at work.
While this may seem costly when bundled with the renovation budget, the cost of technology will eventually be neutralized when the system is used on a daily basis during system uptime.
Other benefits would include: time saving, energy efficiency, and safety.
Con: Compatibility Issues
Not combining technology that works together is one of the first flaws in adopting smart home technology. The smart technology industry is competitive, and there are a lot of alternatives on the market. This also means that a lot of the time, devices in the IoT industry don’t work together.
IoT devices also comes in many different forms; runs on various IoT protocol. As such, the in-depth details of using each device also comes with its own pros & cos. i.e. Wi-Fi switches may use higher electricity than Zigbee switches.
Such complexity will not be flagged out during the sales process and it is only up to the customer’s knowledge to understand the device they are purchasing. These are often so if the item is purchased off e-commerce platforms.
Therefore it is important to do thorough research on the items you are purchasing and it is also critical to get a superior smart home solution that is able to integrate with all of your smart electronics and appliances into a single application.
Pro: Support For Older Generation
A common misconception is that smart homes are for the young ones, but believe it or not, smart homes actually help to serve the older folks.
With features like medical alert systems, automatic lightings and temperature control, the elderly can live with more independence in their own homes.
Smart home solutions are also incorporated to minimise movements by the elderly. i.e. smart doorbell camera allows video/voice footage to be sent to the user without the need to walk to the door.
Features such as the smart floor plan (a visual representation of the house) also helps older generation get used to the smart home with a single tap on the smart floor plan, which provides a visual representation for the users.
Con: Dependence on Technology
Just like anything else that is technology-driven, a smart home is also dependent on gadgets and devices to function properly.
If the smart home system is reliant on your local network, or reliant on an unsecured local server, then you risk being helpless if the server crashes.
Pro: Energy Efficiency
The benefit of smart home technology is the energy efficiency it will bring to your house.
There are a variety of simple ways to cut your carbon footprint and lower your utility bill. You may use energy management solutions such as lighting controls, smart power tracks, and smart plugs to help you decrease both your environmental effect and your monthly utility bill! You may also connect smart sprinkler systems and sensors to detect possible water leaks and reduce wasteful water usage.
While owning a smart home will also mean that many of your devices will be on standby mode, using the rules and logic to reduce usage appliances/devices with high energy consumption is proven to be more effective than conserving electrical consumption of devices on standby.
Con: Might Be Susceptible To Outages
One disadvantage of a smart home is the risk of an internet outage. While rare, losing electricity or access to the internet for even a short time, especially when your whole house is dependent on it to function can be a huge frustration.
Therefore it is important to find a smart home provider that offers reliable service and has a solid backup plan in place. The smart home systems should also be self-reliant in case the outage happens past office hours. i.e. if the system goes down, there should be an alternative for the users to still be able to power on/off the lights via a physical switch.
Having a strong support team in place will ensure that you receive the necessary help when troubleshooting or adjustments are needed, or even when things don’t go according to plan.
Consultants who understand your daily activities and needs are more likely to offer you insights as well as recommendations to help you to achieve your smart home goals. They are also the ones that you can lean on for setup help and maintenance.
Pro: Accessibility and Security
The times of only relying on our dogs to keep our homes secure are long gone: now, thanks to smart home automation and technology, our home security systems are always in touch with us.
A home automation system can be a great way to automate and keep track of your home security, without having to constantly worry about it.
If you are searching for a basic security monitoring system with door and window sensors, as well as a doorbell camera, there are plenty of internal and external security solutions out there in the market.
Con: Vulnerable To Cybersecurity Breaches (At Times)
Although a home automation system can bring plenty of convenience and peace of mind to your life, it also might be vulnerable to hackers and other cybersecurity breaches.
According to a study done by HP, 70% of all IoT devices are vulnerable to medium or high severity security flaws.
So, before you invest in a smart home solution, make sure to do your research on the company and their security protocol to avoid any headaches down the road.
Pro: Increased Home Value
Did you know that smart home technology is now being taken into account during property appraisals? Smart thermostats, smoke alarms with sensors, and home security systems all seem to improve a house’s value.
Con: Startup Costs
Even the best investments come with a cost. Even though smart devices and technology have gotten a lot more affordable over time, fitting your house with smart devices and technology may still be expensive. Make sure you conduct thorough research to figure out what would work best for your unique requirements!
In certain situations, depending on the smart home solution, it may require you to do electrical rewiring of your home, and this would increase your overall cost.
The Home-A-Genius Difference
At Home-A-Genius, we offer a one Stop Wi-Fi & Smart home solution – 99% deadspot free solution.
Home-A-Genius operates within the local network; i.e. it works independently without the internet, while connecting the devices within the same network. This means that you do not have to worry if our servers shut down, and that means that your data is compromised, or that your smart devices will suddenly stop functioning.
You won’t have to worry about compatibility problems, either, since we provide a single App that can connect to a variety of appliances and electrical fixes all within a single system. With numerous smart home technologies already supported, you would be able to add practically any device or sensor to your system with ease.