Expanding Your Home's Value: Smart Upgrades that Impress

The Benefits of Smart Home Upgrades: Energy Savings, Elevated Ease, & Modern Design

Smart home automation is no longer a luxury or “nice to have.” Today, it is an expectation. It reduces energy costs, enhances sustainability, improves everyday living, and elevates homes with modern design. 

But is it worth it? 

To answer that question, you need to know the ROI. Are your investments paying off? Of course, as with most things in life, it's essential to consider the experience as well as the monetary value. 

Here, we’ll explore how to expand your home’s value through smart home upgrades, the technologies that deliver the best ROI, and the systems that provide unrivaled ease and entertainment. 

SEE ALSO: Control4 or Josh.AI? The Best Smart Homes Use Both

Reduced Energy Consumption

Homeowners who have integrated smart home automation are reducing their energy consumption by an average of 15 – 30%. This results in savings of over 836 Canadian dollars annually. 

Even more impressive? They’re reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that homes with smart thermostats reduce their carbon footprint by an average of 1,300+ pounds of CO2 per year. 

How? 

Smart thermostats represent one of the most consequential investments in smart home technologies. These alone, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, can save homeowners up to Can$418 annually when combined with HVAC optimization. 

According to Moser Baer Solar, the initial investment of up to Can$697 can be recovered in as little as two years. 

Working Together

Smart technology incorporates automated lighting, smart thermostats, and motorized shades to create the ideal environment while reducing energy use. Working together, they make a significant impact on a home’s carbon footprint.

Motorized shades adjust automatically, letting in diffuse sunlight in winter and reducing solar heat gain in summer. They achieve this by integrating with sensors and smart thermostats that signal when to close and open. The result is reduced energy consumption and a reduction in HVAC costs ranging from 10 – 25%. 

They also save energy on lighting by letting in natural light. Between automated lighting and shades, a symbiotic dance is formed. When the shade rises to let in more daylight, the lights dim. And when they lower to protect a home from UV rays and heat, the lights brighten. Studies suggest that daylight harvesting can save about 1.6 kWh per square foot every year. 

These lights also automatically turn off when everyone leaves a room. 

Improved Functionality

Smart home automation lets you create an environment that aligns with your lifestyle. In the morning, your window coverings open automatically, letting in the early morning light. The climate has adjusted, creating the ideal environment for your morning routine. 

Lights dim or brighten depending on the room's lighting and your presence. A smart home responds to a changing environment, time of day, and scheduled events, anticipating and elevating everyday moments into extraordinary ones.

Modern Design

Clean lines, neutral colours, and an uncluttered aesthetic define today’s modern design. It’s focused on functionality that seamlessly blends in with its surroundings. Smart home automation embeds technology into a home’s architecture, reducing visual clutter while creating a personalized living experience. 

A touchscreen, elegant keypads, and voice commands replace numerous remotes and wall switches. Whole-home audio systems bring breathtaking music throughout a home via invisible in-ceiling speakers. 

Lighting shifts throughout the day, matching the sun's colour and intensity. Motorized window coverings come in nearly limitless colours, styles, textures, and materials, blending in and enhancing your home’s design.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

As more people seek experiences over objects, it becomes difficult to measure the costs versus the personalized lifestyle home automation provides. That said, there are some essentials to consider.

At Lucent Controls, we partner with Control4 and Josh.ai, both global leaders in home automation. The costs to integrate this technology range widely, from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands. 

The price depends on the number of connected devices and controls, as well as the complexity of the professional integration and installation. Some people start slowly, adopting the platform, a control, and maybe motorized shades. Others dive in headfirst with an entire home and all its devices automated. They may even upgrade their home entertainment to include a media room or home theatre. 

The benefits include extraordinary ease of living, enhanced beauty, lower utility bills, a greener home, increased home value, and potentially quicker sales. 

To perform an analysis, consider potential costs and the associated benefits. As full-service home-automation and AV experts, our team at Lucent Controls is happy to go over a cost analysis together to determine the right entry point and develop a long-term plan. 

To learn more about smart home upgrades, contact Lucent Controls.