If a smart home is what you want, know that you are not alone. A study predicts that smart home device users will more than double between 2023 and 2028. After all, smart home technology is no longer just a trend. It has crossed the line from being a “cool trend” to a standard feature in every household. 

To experience smart living, you can pack up and look for new homes with smart home technology on homebuying apps like The Canadian Home. Getting rid of all your old appliances and replacing them with new, smart ones is another option. But fortunately, you can avoid all that hassle (and shelling out a huge sum!). Instead, you can make your current home’s dumb appliances smart in several ways. Let’s explore this further!

Why Smarten Up Your Regular Appliances?

Homeowners everywhere aren’t adopting smart home technology merely for the hype. They are making these changes because upgrading to smart appliances unlocks a broad range of practical benefits. 

One of the most immediate advantages of a smart home is the convenience it brings to your daily life. Smart home technology essentially streamlines your day, giving you more time to focus on what matters most. You can control your lights, thermostat, or coffee maker with a tap on your phone or a voice command. 

With a smart home, you can also live sustainably while enjoying lower energy bills. That’s possible because energy-efficient appliances monitor usage, reducing unnecessary consumption. Over time, these minor adjustments can add up to significant savings on your utility bills.

Perhaps the most exciting benefit of all is the potential boost in your property’s market value. Studies indicate that homes with smart upgrades can be valued 20-30% higher in buyers’ eyes. Home value estimator tools may fail to show any rise in your property’s value after the upgrade. But rest assured, buyers understand the worth of smart homes and often offer a higher price because of it. 

Ways to Give Your Home a Smart Upgrade Without Replacing Existing Appliances

Here are some clever and easy ways to upgrade your old “dumb” appliances in your home into smart ones:

• Use Smart Plugs to Control Any Appliance

Smart plugs are the simplest way to bring intelligence to your home appliances. These small devices plug into any standard wall outlet, and then your appliance plugs directly into the smart plug. These plugs allow you to control any device through a smartphone app or voice assistant. You can turn devices on and off from anywhere, set schedules, or monitor energy usage with smart plugs.

The beauty of smart plugs is their simplicity. You don’t need to replace any appliances, and setup usually takes a few minutes. 

• Control Multiple Devices at Once with Smart Power Strips

Smart power strips take the functionality of smart plugs to the next level. Unlike a regular power strip, a smart power strip has several outlets. You can manage each connected device separately, turning it on or off without affecting the others. 

With a smart power strip, you can also create schedules for your devices. Some power strips even provide energy monitoring for each outlet. This feature helps you identify which appliances are using the most power. 

• Upgrade Your Lighting with Smart Light Socket Adapters

You don’t need to replace every light fixture to make your home smarter. Instead, you can use smart socket adapters to convert traditional bulbs into controllable smart lights. Simply screw the adapter into your existing socket and then place your bulb on top. And just like that, you can dim, brighten, or schedule lights from your phone. 

• Control Temperature Easily with Smart Thermostat Controllers

Heating and cooling are often the biggest energy consumers in a home. True, you can lower the utility bills significantly with a smart HVAC system, but that can be costly. Instead, you can use a smart thermostat controller to make your current HVAC system smarter.

These controllers attach to your existing thermostat and connect to your Wi-Fi network. You can set schedules, adjust temperatures on the go, and receive energy usage reports. 

• Turn Infrared Appliances Smart with Smart Remotes

Many devices in your home still rely on infrared (IR) signals to operate. Your TV, air conditioners, and sound systems could be these appliances. Smart remotes allow you to control these devices through an app or a voice assistant. This one smart remote eliminates the need for multiple physical remotes. 

With the smart remote, you can turn devices on or off or adjust settings with a single tap. Most smart remotes also support automation and scheduling. 

• Take Control of Wall-Mounted Appliances with Smart Switches

Smart switches are a permanent and elegant way to make your lights and ceiling fans smart.  These switches offer a sleek, integrated look without the clutter of plugs. 

Unlike smart plugs or adapters, these switches completely replace your wall switches. You will have permanent control over the appliances connected to the smart switch. With a smart switch, you can remotely manage lights and fans, or set schedules. You can also integrate the appliances with voice assistants, such as Alexa.

• Automate Your Schedule with Smart Timers

Smart timers add automation to appliances that don’t have built-in scheduling features. No doubt that most smart plugs and switches also have built-in timers. However, dedicated smart timers offer more precision and flexibility for complex schedules. For example, you can schedule lights to turn on every evening at dusk. You can also program your coffee maker to start brewing exactly at 6:45 a.m.

Keep This in Mind Before Making Your Old Appliances Smart

As you have seen, upgrading the ordinary appliances of your current home is much easier than it seems. However, before you dive into this smart home tech project, there are a few things you should remember. First, evaluate your home’s Wi-Fi coverage and check your electrical setup. Additionally, ensure that your current appliances are compatible with smart devices. Doing a quick compatibility check with the smart devices can save you time and hassle. 

Security and privacy should also be a priority when installing smart home technology. Always choose well-known brands that offer high-level encryption and regularly update their firmware. With the right planning, you can successfully build a smart home environment that simplifies your day-to-day life while also adding comfort.