5 Essential Home Upgrades You Need to Make

Investing in upgrading your home may seem like an unnecessary expenditure. However, many Americans are actually spending more on home improvement, with home improvement sales  expected to reach over 620 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.

The key word is an investment. With the right upgrades, the initial cost spent will be returned in decreased expenses or increased house value over the next several years. Intrigued? Here are some essential upgrades.

Smart thermostat

The average household in Chicago pays $787.11 for heating during the colder months. However, up to $47,000 could be saved in the next three decades, as long as residents switch from gas furnaces to electric heat. This upgrade can even be taken a step further by including a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat allows you to control the heating system remotely. This allows you to turn off your heating during the day while you are at work, and start it up again while you are on your way home.

Face detection and recognition system

A padlock can be broken, and even some smart security cameras can be intercepted by increasingly tech-savvy hackers. That is why facial recognition technology is becoming more prevalent in home security cameras. With face detection, these cameras allow for more seamless system control in order to increase the detail of alerts.

Home security robots

With the outside of the house secured, one has to make sure that the inside is free from danger as well. Here, technology has gone a step further by incorporating robotics into security.

Security robots improve the mobility and range of CCTV cameras. A post by Robot Pet Friends on Amazon’s new home security robots explain how a periscope camera is attached to the surveillance robot, and even include advanced face detection technology. This means that the robot can patrol the
house on its own to detect any intruders.

The convenience especially comes from its ability to connect with your smartphone. This advanced security feature means that homeowners can keep an eye on their houses during the day — and even check on a running stove or light bulb left on while they are out of the house.

Smart lighting

If you did leave a light on, the wasted $0.1 per hour for a 60-watt bulb can build up over time. Personal costs aside, this waste of energy is harmful to the environment as well.

Smart lights allow you to control your lights from your mobile device beyond a simple off-and-on. NY Times sees this nifty feature as a security enhancer, by allowing your home to naturally seem occupied by the varied lighting.

Solar Energy

Going the extra mile by equipping solar energy can mean great returns. This is because solar energy projects are varied, and could mean switching out your gas appliances with electric ones or powering your smart devices with solar energy. One can even incorporate solar panels into the home design, allowing homeowners to power all of the house’s electricity needs.

Solar energy has continuously been proven to reduce both your electric bills and carbon footprint also becoming more accessible for homeowners, especially given decreasing costs for materials. The tax credits and incentives can even save you several thousand dollars. Investments are done right when made in advance, and it's especially important to stay ahead of the trends and new developments. Investing in future tech now can help you reap the benefits of these upgrades at the earliest time, and make the most of your comforts at home.

Written by Alysia Venus Cross. alyshialynnvenus@yahoo.com
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