With so many improvements in the smart home industry, there are many things people can do to make their lives more convenient than before. Although many smart devices are ready to use out of the box, there are some which require installation. This can go from drilling a tiny hole in a wall, to a complete overhaul of the electrical wiring in your home.
That’s why using certain smart home devices in an apartment or house that you’re renting might become problematic. Since most owners aren’t comfortable with their occupants doing renovation around their properties, you’ll have to turn to simpler smart home solutions.
Smart Home Tech Ideal for Students
With so many students around the world renting a place to stay during their college years, smart home manufacturers are ready to serve their needs. In the next few sections, you’ll see what kind of devices you can use anywhere you go and what benefits they bring.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs are the cheapest piece of tech you can buy to improve your home. Just plug one into a power socket and use its Wi-Fi capability to connect it to the wireless network in your home. You could, for example, connect your floor lamp to the smart plug. Thanks to the mobile apps smart plugs come with, you can now control your lamp with a few taps of your finger.
There are also some manufacturers which add voice control options to their smart plugs. A good example is Amazon. Their smart plugs allow you to simply say a command to their Alexa assistant and your lamp will turn on or off.
Smart Lighting
When about it comes to smart lighting, this is a great way to make your life easier. You can either use complex systems like Phillips Hue or go for a simple smart bulb. At first sight, these don’t look any more different than a regular lightbulb. Of course, there’s one slight difference – smart bulbs can connect to a Wi-Fi network in your home.
Obviously, this difference is crucial, since it allows you to add any number of smart bulbs to your smart home ecosystem. Once you do that, you can either use voice commands to turn the lights off or simply control them through a smart home app on your smartphone.
Smart Surveillance Cameras
When it comes to surveillance cameras, there are two main types you can buy. First, there are weatherproof outdoor cameras. These allow you to see everything that’s going on outside your home, directly on your smartphone or computer. Unfortunately for anyone renting an apartment or house, these usually require some kind of installation. That being said, there are some outdoor models that could attach to existing railings or even a tree.
As far as the indoor cameras are concerned, there are numerous options to choose from. Some of the most popular manufacturers in this category are Arlo & Ring (an Amazon brand), & Google Nest. Simply place it anywhere in your home and you can monitor activities while you’re out for the day. Most of these have two-way communication and video recording. This can really come in handy should your landlord decide to pay you an announced visit while you’re outside walking your dog, for example.
Smart Speakers
This is the most convenient way to boost your home and make it smart. With smart speakers, you can use voice commands to control all of your smart home devices. Some of the most popular such devices come from Google, Amazon, and Apple, bringing Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri to your home.
This allows you to simply ask your device for the latest weather forecast, play your favorite music, or turn on the kitchen TV and switch to a channel you’d like to watch. If you treat yourself to a smart speaker with a display, you’ll be able to make video calls, watch movies, shows, and so much more. As you add more smart devices to your home, you’ll be able to control them all from your smart speaker.
