The future of home automation is here….and it’s not just millenials that are turning their homes into smart homes! Smart devices mean you can see who’s at the front door while you’re in the back yard, adjust your thermostat on the way home from work, and have a robot vacuum your living room while you’re shower: but should you?

It’s easy to get swooped up in the smart home revolution that’s taking place, but before you go all in and retrofit your entire house consider which upgrades are worth the investment.

Here’s how you can add convenience and value to your home:

• Smart Locks:  smart locks are “appealing to more and more home buyers. As we’ve moved to a much more digital society, people like to carry less (think Apple Pay vs credit cards) and keys are just another example. They also offer homebuyers with school-aged children peace of mind that keys won’t be lost and that their child will always have access to their home.”
• Smart Thermostats: Smart thermostats such as the Nest or Ecobee are relatively inexpensive but can be tricky to integrate. If you’re looking to sell your home, making this upgrade before listing may pay off.  Home buyers are happy that they don’t have to be the ones to install. In older homes, this can be a more complicated installation process, so it being done at the time of purchase is a big plus.
• Safety Features: Products like Leeo Alarms and Roost give you live alerts so you can make it home to stop a detected water leak before it causes expensive damage. These products provide potential homebuyers with a much-valued peace of mind.
• Smart Outlets: Smart outlets allow you to control whatever is plugged into it remotely and, in some cases, through voice control. Depa also encourages homeowners to add outlets with USB ports. It’s an inexpensive fix and provides a nice return on investment.

The smart home movement seems here to stay. And while every homebuyer may not be ready to live in a fully outfitted home, making relatively inexpensive technical upgrades can add value.

Remember….Connectivity is an expected standard now!