Posted by By Oretta Croushore, Assistant Property Manager for Home Rental Services
Up until a few years ago, I felt like George Jetson had lied to me about the future. He said everything would be controlled by the touch of a button, we would all have “visiphones” and flying cars. I guess two out of three isn’t bad.
It seems these days everything is getting “smart” tacked onto it. I live in a “dumb” home. We turn switches on at the wall like Neanderthals. When I get cold, my husband has to step over our saber tooth tiger and stumble past the cave drawings to adjust the thermostat on the wall. We don’t even have someone named Alexa living in our house. Turns out most of these devices are pretty affordable and don’t require major installation. There’s hope for my “dumb” house, yet.
Is there an advantage to installing a few, well-chosen smart devices in your rental home?
It certainly helps to set your listing apart. Features like energy savings, convenience, and peace of mind, help keep the home at the front of the prospective renters’ minds. Many of these products could prove beneficial during vacancy times. How great would it be to know the furnace stopped working as soon as it happens?
Smart Thermostats: This is the one we’re probably all the most familiar with. Change the temperature in the room from the convenience of the couch with your phone or tablet. Control the thermostat when you’re away from home as long as you can find a WiFi connection. Some models offer a sensor to stick in those hard to control rooms like finished basements or attic rooms. The energy savings from these devices can be quite remarkable.
For more info about smart thermostats, here’s a recent CNET roundup of 9 smart thermostats to consider.
Smart smoke/carbon monoxide detector or a Smart 9 Volt battery: No big surprise that a “smart” smoke detector is a thing. Talk about peace of mind! Getting an alert on your phone to tell you when your battery is low? How about one to tell you the alarm is going off? Some even have the option to reset them from your phone. No more climbing on a chair because a pepperoni jumped to its death in the oven.
The Smart battery really impressed me though. They cost about $40 and sync up with an app on your phone. If you’re detector goes off, you get a loud, smoke alarm-like noise from your phone within 30 seconds. The life span is up to 5 years in a smoke only device and 2-3 years in a combo device.
Water Leak Detectors: This is a sensor about the size of a coffee cup and costs between $35 – $80. It’s placed near a potential water leak source. In the event of a leak, you get a notification.
For more info about water leak detectors, here’s a recent CNET roundup of water leak detectors to consider.
If you can dream it, there’s probably a smart version of it. There’s plugs to control your appliances while you are away. Bulbs that let you set mood lighting in addition to turning lights on while you’re on vacation. You can even get garage door openers that give notifications about who is coming and going, tell you the garage temp, and do everything but start the car for you (and your key fob might already let you do that!) Most any smart device can be tied into your virtual assistant like Alexa, Siri or Google.
Now, if only Alexa could put out the trash cans!
Home Rental Services Blog 