5 must-have tech features for your home

5 must-have tech features for your home

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SALT LAKE CITY — Technology is a great way to make big upgrades to your home without the headache or cost of extensive renovations.

Home automation and smart home products are becoming increasingly popular among millennial homeowners, with more than 26 billion IoT (Internet of Things) devices slated to be connected to the web by 2020, according to the home security buyer's guide Safewise.

Whether you are building your dream home or updating your existing pad, these five tech features are a must-have.

1. Smart lights

Home automation systems allow you to control nearly everything, including your lights using a smartphone or tablet. Smart lights enable you to schedule when they turn on and off and periodically adjust them throughout the day, even while on vacation or just lying in bed watching TV.

You can also control the brightness and hue and adjust it to your mood, the weather outside or time of day.

You can also save money on energy costs by using LED bulbs since they consume less energy, produce less heat and last longer than regular bulbs.

2. Smart security

According to security company Safeguard the World, 5,400 home burglaries occur every day, making it vital to safeguard your home with the best security available.

When considering a security system, choose one that incorporates home automation features, like a doorbell camera. Most security systems allow you to arm and disarm your system remotely and check in on your home through indoor and outdoor security cameras.

A Secure Life seeks to aid homeowners in choosing the best security plan for their family.

3. Air quality monitor

Outdoor air quality is always a hot topic, but home air quality is often eight times more polluted than outdoor air quality.

As you’re outfitting your home with the newest tech features, make sure to include monitors that will help you gauge the air that your family breathes every day.

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The Foobot Air Quality Monitor alerts you if your home’s air quality is unhealthy and identifies air pollution sources. You can also control it remotely and get real-time alerts about your air quality. Invest in your health while geeking out your home with the best tech products in the industry.

4. Smart thermostat

Smart thermostats are a great way to jump into the world of home automation.

Like smart lights, you can save money and energy using a smart thermostat, even up to 48 percent of your utility bill, according to energy.gov.

In addition, smart thermostats are essential for a more comfortable lifestyle. Smart thermostats learn and adapt to your style of living by adjusting temperatures according to your daily schedule.

Smart thermostats provide local weather updates, track energy usage and savings estimates and can be controlled remotely so you can adjust the temperature from anywhere, at any time.

The Nest or Ecobee have both received very positive reviews from customers.

5. Smart locks

Electric and smart locks enable homeowners to lock and unlock their home with the push of button. Physical keys are becoming a thing of the past as smart locks become more mainstream.

Smart locks enable people to secure their homes in a variety of ways ranging from fingerprint identification to Bluetooth-enabled locks.

Smart locks are a great way to ensure safety and increase security as there is no risk of lost or stolen keys. Some allow you to even lock or unlock doors remotely, letting you control who is entering your home at all times.

Safewise.com offers some tips and tricks on how to find the best smart locks for your home.

These five tech features will add value to your home, increase security and even save you some money. Consider including any or all of these features in your home in 2017.

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