You may have noticed that just about every room in your house can become a “smart” room and every appliance can talk. Today’s technology movement has truly taken over and it isn’t slowing down. In fact, these items that used to be thought of as a luxury are becoming more and more expected.
A question soon-to-be home sellers may have is, “Can having a smart home help me sell me home?”
We all know that investing in a remodel can earn you some big dollars on the back end. New kitchens, bathrooms, and master bedrooms have been earning their return on investment for years.
But are there advantages to investing in smart home technology? Does smart technology increase a home’s worth?
The answer? If the market is healthy, yes!
By subbing permanent features with technology, you can make a profit off of a smart home. These can include, but are not limited to:
- Smart lighting
- Smart locks and home security systems
- Automatic blinds and curtains
- Smart thermostats
- Smart garage door openers
- Smart appliances
There aren’t many homes out on the market right now technically classified as “smart homes.” This means that any person who can achieve this title for their home will be of major impact to interested buyers.
What is it about smart technology that adds such value?
#1 Convenience
We have gotten very used to convenience in today’s technology-driven society. Being able to control your house from your home is a major desire of homebuyers these days, in fact. The ease of transitioning all of these features to the new owner is also a big relief for buyers. These systems can be reset to require brand new credentials and configured with new automation settings for the new owner to create their unique smart home profile.
#2 Safety
A smart security system can really add some much
-appreciated peace of mind for buyers.
Leaving your smart technology behind when it’s sold can justify value for a homebuyer when they see you have motion sensors, built-in cameras, and bonuses such as water-leak sensors.
Having your agent communicate all of these benefits to buyers will help to set your home apart from others in the area. Especially when they realize how easy it is.
#3 Energy Saving Capabilities
We’re all doing our best to help our environment these days.
That is why using energy-savingtechnology can be a major selling point in our local market.
While you may not be able to completely convert to a “green home,” using smart home technology can certainly help you save on heat, air conditioning, and electricity.
Smart thermostats can help you only heat or cool the house when you need to and keep an extra eye on misuse. Just leave for a vacation and you forgot to turn the heat down? You can do it from your phone! Buyers recognize this as it becomes more and more common to have.
In addition you can set your lights up (both inside and outside) on automatic timers.
No more leaving those lights on all night for no good reason.
Even something as simple as a window and
door sensors can help save energy by alerting you when one is left open.
#4 Insurance Discounts
Other than saving money on your energy bill, smart home buyers can look forward to having a lower insurance premium as well if you have
your smart security system set up. That is because you are not only protecting the home from burglary, you can also prevent any sort of major disaster from happening such as a fire or a flood.
One of the best parts of smart technology is how easy it is for the current homeowner to make the upgrade. Smart home upgrades to your home do not require interviewing and hiring a slew of contractors or electricians or any other tradesperson. You can do it yourself quite easily. That means you can quickly add value and get an even higher return on your investment.
It’s pretty clear that having a smart home automation system set up has a lot of benefits both for you while you’re living in the home, and for potential buyers when you go to sell the home. Talk to your real estate agent about how you can add these features into your listing when you go to sell.