Some of us remember the days of The Jetson's, where your maid was a robot and all you had to do was speak into the air, wanting a glass of juice, and one would appear out of the floor.  Smart homes are all the rage now and it's at a point where the average person can't keep up with all the available improvements.

In case you're wondering from the image above, I am one of those average people who does not have a very smart home.....but I'm thinking about it.  One day I'll probably succumb to all the research that I do and spend a whole day in Best Buy loading up my cart with "smart" stuff.

As a Realtor though, I do get the opportunity to witness, first hand, many different options to raise your home's IQ so I thought I'd add my little article to the myriad of other smarter ones out there.

Ways to Smarten Up Every Room of the House

It seems, to accomplish this goal, you're basically hooking everything up to the internet which gives you the added benefit of controlling most features through your smartphone.  Here are some ideas to "up the technology ante" for every room of your house....

Kitchen

The kitchen seems to be the main nucleus of a smart home and to be honest, you can fill up an entire book with all of the available smart gadgets and appliances.  Before I mention a few of them, let's not forget that Alexa is everywhere!  I'm still a little creeped out about Alexa but I'm sure I'll come around.

The smart refrigerator looks like something out of Star Wars and will let you check your calendar, play music, check the weather, and even build your grocery list as you run low on things.

Take a look at some other smart kitchen alternatives:

• The Hapifork - Monitors your eating habits (I won't be getting this one).
• Amazon Dash - It's about the size of a key FOB and will scan barcodes of food items that you need.  You can then shoot it over to Amazon Fresh for delivery.
• Egg Minder - Let's you know which of your eggs are the freshest....some how.
• Genican - A trashcan that scans items as you throw them away so you know that you're out of it.  Wow!
• Smart Plate - It has sensors and cameras to let you know how bad you're eating.  I won't be getting this one either.
• That's just the tip of the iceberg for smart kitchen gadgets.

Many would say that the kitchen is the most important room of the house so I guess you may as well make it a cool place to hang out.

Bathroom

Ok, some places are sacred but I'm keeping an open mind.  If you're on a mission to get your house "on trend", why stop at the bathroom?  If the bathroom is the most used room in the house, then a high tech toilet is a must.  Toilet manufacturers are doing their best to keep up with smart demand by creating a "no hand, no water" experience.  You can find toilets that are self-cleaning with automatic lids.

If you can't afford one of these beauties there are also smart soap dispensers that are hands-free as well.  

Check out these other bathroom gadgets that are perfect for the "techie" of the house:

• Refrigerated bathroom cabinets for drinks and medicine
• Chromotheraphy shower heads - You can also get showered with a rainbow of colors that's supposed to have a medicinal affect.
• Shower speakers
• Waterproof TV's
• IRobot Braava floor cleaning system for wet messes.
• The Oral B 5,000 has bluetooth technology to let you know how good or bad your brushing habits are.
• Steam showers
• Towel warming drawers

Bedroom

For the room that we likely spend the most time in, there are a number of smart items to put on your wish list.  The Amazon Echo is an amped up version of the good ole alarm clock.  It not only will wake you up but you can also check the weather, play your favorite song, listen to an audiobook, and even turn on the lights - all controled by your voice.

We've all been seeing smart technology in mattresses through TV commercials for years now.  Why not pay a little more on the very thing that you spend the most time on?  You'll find mattresses that adjust to your movements, track your sleeping habits, and even help control your snoring partner.

Other cool smart products for the bedroom include:

• Bladeless fans that pump out warm and cool air (I actually do have one of these.)
• Combination smoke/carbon monoxide detectors
• Surveillance cameras that will notify your phone
• Google Home is a competitor with Amazon Echo that allows you to search for anything just like you're on the website.
• Smart humidifiers

Living Room

The first room that most people think of when it comes to smart technology is the the living room but being smart goes a lot further than just your TV.  There's a phrase that is becoming more and more popular to the common person nowadays - the internet of things.  This is actually the concept of tying all electronics together so they communicate with each other.  Sound a little intimidating?  Well, it's happening whether we like it or not.

It's more than just buying a smart light bulf that will last 9 years.  Smart technology is about creating a whole smart home system.  You can use Alexa, for instance, to pipe music throughout your home, control the temperature, control the lights, find information, and even turn on small appliances.  

The technology seems to be endless for the living room:

• Smart thermostats that adjust to how you live
• Wireless speakers for your high tech sound system
• Smart lighting that comes with an app to change the color of the light and brightness
• Gaming systems that are voice controlled and allow you to surf the net.
• Virtual reality systems.
• The Ring Doorbell also takes video and notifies your phone.
• Remote door locks

There is a lot to take in when trying to smarten up every room of your house and this article barely scrapes the surface.  It seems that I have a lot to ask Alexa.

Additional Resources on Smart Home Technology:

How Has Smart Home Technology Impacted Real Estate? - Kyle Hiscock
Smart Home Features That Can Improve the Value of Your Home - Paul Sian
Does Home Automation Affect Home Values? - Anita Clark

About the author:  The above Real Estate information on Ways to Smarten Up Every Room of the House was provided by Jeff Nelson of IXL Real Estate – Eastern Shore.  Jeff can be reached via email at jeff@livegulfshoreslocal.com or by phone at 251-654-2523.  Jeff has helped people move in and out of properties for nearly 13 years.

Thinking about selling your home?  I have a passion for Real Estate and would love to share my marketing expertise!

I service Real Estate sales in Baldwin County including the cities of Spanish Fort, Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach.