Creating a Smart Home? Here are the Top Trends

It’s no surprise that homeowners, as well as renters, are embracing smart home technology. There are so many options to make home automation and security incredibly easy. And, according to home remodeling and design platform Houzz, more homeowners are including smart home devices into their home renovations than ever before.

Houzz recently released its 2016 Houzz Smart Home Trends Study, revealing new trends in the adoption of smart home technology. As Houzz defines it, a “smart” device is any technology that can be monitored or controlled via a smartphone, tablet or computer. Incredibly, the company found that in a survey of nearly 1,000 homeowners in the midst of, planning, or who have recently completed a home renovation project, 45-percent have incorporated smart technology into their project.

While the uses of smart devices are as varied as the devices themselves, the study found that home security and safety is the single the biggest area of investment. Among survey recipients, it was found that about one quarter have installed at least one smart home security device during their renovation. An example is a Wi-Fi camera, but other smart security products may include motion detectors, smart door locks, and video doorbells.

Among the homeowners who had incorporated a safety-related smart home device, 67-percent were primarily motivated to protect their home from intruders, while 52-percent wanted to monitor their homes when they were away. While traditional security systems can be costly, the majority of homeowners in Houzz’s study said they would pay less than $1,500 to achieve peace of mind, with fewer than 5-percent stating they had paid over $5,000 for added security.

Many of the homeowners in the study said that they incorporated smart home tech to improve quality of life. According to Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz, homeowners “aim to improve the comfort, convenience, safety, and energy usage of their home during their renovations, and smart technology appears to address many of their needs.”

While the study did note a bit of a learning curve when it comes to homeowners finding the right solution for their specific needs, it also revealed high adoption and satisfaction rates among those who ultimately incorporated these technologies into their homes.

Although nearly half of study recipients have embraced smart home tech, 55-percent of homeowners surveyed still have yet to try it out. But due to the ever-crowded smart home landscape, the barrier for entry is getting lower and lower. Furthermore, homeowners who have added smart home features have reported extremely high levels of satisfaction with their technology.  

This study is just another indication of a very big overarching trend: our homes are getting smarter. And with helpful devices like Wi-Fi Cameras, Smart Sensors, and Smart Plugs, to name a few, homeowners are discovering new possibilities and entirely new ways to feel secure and comfortable at home.