FAQ

What is a smart home?

A smart home is any property that contains ‘Internet of Things’ devices. These devices usually contain an electronic ‘brain’ that allow it to perform actions based on specific, user defined conditions. For example a normal light bulb can be switched on and off using the light switch. A smart light can not only be turned on and off via a smart phone, but it can also turn itself on and off based on pre-programmed rules, such as when the sun sets, or when a person arrives home. By taking away the ‘manual’ part of its operation, it essentially becomes smarter, and in turn makes your life easier. 

What are the benefits of a smart home?

There are many, and it depends on what level of ‘smarts’ you want. For example, being able to turn off all your lights in the entire house (or just specific rooms) just by saying ‘Hey Google, turn off all my lights’ ensures that you will never accidentally leave the house with the lights on. Just think of how much electricity we waste by going to bed and leaving the garden lights on.

Another huge benefit is when you start to make your smart devices talk to each other. In the above example, we have already made your smart speaker connect to your smart lights. Take this one step further, and you can tell your smart speaker to perform a number of tasks with just one command. For example if you say “Hey Google, let’s watch a movie”, then your smart home will adjust itself ready for your movie night by dimming the living room lights, turning on the projector or TV, open Netflix then put your phone into ‘Do not Disturb’ mode. One step even further would be to have your TV ‘talk’ to your lights, so when you start watching a movie it can do all these things automatically without you lifting a finger or uttering a word. The possibilities are, quite simply, limitless.

my apartment is already built, can you still help?

Of course! The Smart Home Center will provide a free consultation at your home, and will suggest devices that do not need any changes to the structure of your home. Unlike other proprietary Smart Home companies, we do not require you to lay any wiring into the walls, or change any of your lighting / heating provisions.

WHAT IF THE COMPANY WHo makes your smart home products goes bankrupt?

This is actually a very valid question, and a real possibility in the ever changing world of the Internet of Things. Many companies will sell you products that only work with their ‘cloud’, which means if that company can no longer afford to maintain their cloud, then all their devices will stop working. I am sure you agree that this is simply not fair! At the Smart Home Center we believe in consumer freedom, and so only ever offer products that are controllable over a local wifi network. Some of them also offer a cloud option, which of course we don’t mind, however we always ensure that the products we recommend will still work if this cloud (or your internet) goes offline!

Any other questions?

Feel free to get in touch with us with any question you have.