Smart Home market revenue is expected to grow by 13.97% annually, and the best part is you won’t have to break the bank to make your house smarter. 

There were 258,54 million smart homes worldwide in 2021, and the trend keeps expanding. If you’re a traditionalist, you should give this article a shot and see if some smart gadgets could benefit your house. And if you’re an IT enthusiast and already know what you’d fancy buying, but your budget has been constraining you in making your house smart and trendy, know that there are advantageous, low-cost tricks that can help turn your house into your dream home.

Buying house furniture and appliances is one of the most challenging yet exciting tasks when you settle in a new dwelling. If you’ve just moved into your first home, or you’ve been dreaming of upgrading it for some time now, you’ve most likely already seen thousands of pictures of enchanting kitchens. And if you’ve gained some brainstorming home decor ideas that you look forward to implementing, you can go a step further and choose smart innovations.

Here are some of the most effective budget-friendly home upgrades you can do to make your home smarter and your life easier.

Change your lighting

The traditional bulb in the middle of your ceiling should be long gone from your home. There are endless possibilities to light your dwelling, and the best part is that you can play with the level of darkness you want in your rooms, according to your needs and the activities performed. Don’t limit yourself to a single dimmer switch because good lighting is paramount to creating the perfect ambience. These are some of the best ways to light your home:

  • Smart lights. Lighting, today, is a technology you can play with. Smart led bulbs contain software and use wireless transmissions that allow you to connect to an app, smart home assistant and so on to control them, and are an advanced way to light any house.
  • Lighting for function. Boost the functionality of each area in your home with light. For example, design-led pendants or bright downlights work well for your cooking areas, and adjustable lighting is perfect for reading.
  • Layer lighting. Multiple light sources make your room versatile and flexible, and it’s best to choose adjustable ones.

Get high-quality cabinetry

Your house won’t feel as smart should you keep not-so-functional, outdated furniture. Similarly, your kitchen might not take your guests’ breath away if you have old-fashioned cabinetry. Trends evolve, and indoor designers develop new techniques and features that help improve your cooking and cleaning experience and shorten the time spent on household chores.

Remember those thrilling South Coast kitchens you see on the TV that make your heart race and skip a beat with how beautiful, modern and smart they are? They’re also unique in that they increase the comfort of the homeowners. Luckily, there are cheap, effective tricks you can implement in your kitchen that will make you feel like you’re cooking in a 5 Michelin star restaurant, such as:

  • Smart lighting over an avant-garde, sophisticated kitchen cabinetry
  • Handleless cabinets with doors with soft closing hinges
  • Qualitative kitchen units with a finish that cleans easily and doesn’t absorb water or swum
  • Hands-free trash bins incorporated into your kitchen cabinets

Replace appliances

New appliances can be purchased little by little to fit within your budget. You can start with a smart trash can, robot vacuum and a new refrigerator. It’s essential to know your appliances’ average lifespan because no matter how high-tech they are, they have an expectancy life:

  • Refrigerators: 14 years
  • Dishwashers: 9 years
  • Freezers: 10 to 20 years
  • Electric ranges: 13 to 15 years
  • Gas ranges: 10 to 18 years.

According to the 50/50 rule of changing or repairing appliances, if they are halfway through their lifespan and start to show malfunctions, you should consider replacing them, as repairing them can be more expensive than buying a new one. It’s best to opt for reliable brands, and you can even check used-appliance stores regularly to see if you can get a good bargain. Don’t forget that modern ones consume less energy and if you pay attention to this detail, you can cut your energy bill costs.

Connect to a hub

When you dip your toes in the waters of smart and automated lighting, you’ll most likely want to upgrade all your devices. A smart home hub isn’t hard to configure, and the internet connection will allow you to perform a less invasive installation. Connecting your hub to the internet via ethernet cable or WiFi is recommended.

Once connected, you can personalise routines like turning on music in your home office at the end of the workday or turning lights on and off. In a hub, you can integrate devices like the following:

  • Light switches and dimmers
  • Smoke/carbon monoxide alarm
  • A security system
  • Leak detectors
  • A voice assistant
  • Speakers
  • Door locks
  • Vents
  • Blinds
  • Fans.

Increase your internet speed

A simple internet upgrade will help you work and use technology easier. It’s highly recommended that you and your kids rely on home WiFi for work and school. You can use programs like UniFy for your home or corporate network.

Furthermore, your smart hub and wireless devices can be supported with increased internet speed and a mesh network. The latter is a group of devices that work as one and can “create a WiFi blanket” around your home to keep it smart and covered with a reliable connection.

Plan out your mesh set-up in advance, ensure that it supports dual-band for smart services that necessitate 2.4GHZ and let your technician know you don’t want a basic, low-cost, self-install pod pack.

Small upgrades like a programmable thermostat can yield significant savings

Getting rid of your old thermostat and installing a smart thermostat can’t be that hard, and it might also help you save some money. The prices of these programmable thermostats differ depending on your local climate and the size of your house. But, in turn, using one helps you control the temperature when the house is empty, which can lead to potentially reduced energy bills.