Want to learn about Smart Homes in Summit County, Grand County and Park County? Fire alarms, shut off the lights, close the garage door, home alarms, thermostat control and motion sensors are only a few of the new “apps” that can add a new tech age as well as a great value to your home. 2013 was the year of the affordable tech gadgets to hit the home market and in doing so it brought a new evolution of buyers as well as increasing home value.

One of the biggest changes in home technology was the touch screen. Dishwashers, microwaves, televisions, and refrigerators were all controlled by the touch of a button or your smart phone. Refrigerators were one of the biggest moves forward in the “smart home.” LG and Samsung collaborated on fridge with a touch screen that allowed you to monitor the contents of your fridge in your home and on your smart phone. They also made it so you could create a shopping list right there on your fridge and it would automatically sync with your smart phone. The other appliances could also be synced to your smart phone but only allowed the function of turning the appliances on and off. This allows the consumer to be able to pre-heat the oven, start the dishwasher from wherever and make sure appliances are not on when they should not be.

Smaller ideas that went a long way this year in ‘smart homes’ was the ability to turn lights on and off from a remote device like a smart phone or tablet. Many homes and home owners chose to use this application to ensure they were saving money on their power bills being able to view if lights were on or off in their homes. This same application allows the user to close the garage door if they think it has been left open.

Another tech innovation we saw become very popular in 2013 was an app that allowed parents to be able to pay closer attention to their kids safety. There is an app that can connect to your home security system and send you notifications to your smart device, that informs you when your door has been opened with a key. Also, it can recognize the device your child is carrying and informs you that your child has made it home safely.

In the coming years it will be very interesting to see how the investor and Summit County home buyer changes with the technology evolution. Soon enough, we will all be able to control everything in our homes through our cell phones. When you are considering your next house do not forget to look into the ability to make your Summit County home a “smart home.”