Smart home automation was inaccessible, and unattainable for a long time. The rich and wealthy automated their home, as technology was once unattainable, elusive and unaffordable. I remember growing up watching the cartoon network, and one of the popular shows of that time, The Jetsons, set in the future, had so many fancy features, including the home robot, which we know is a closer reality today. most capital intensive, for instance a smart TV starts at 30,000 while a smart fridge can go up to a lakh. With air taxis in tow, the flying cars of Jetsons is not far away either. Setting Up an affordable smart home in under 30k is impossible in Covid 19 time.

Smart Home automation – how it all began:

What began as a fun offering in the 60’s, ECHO – Electronic Computer Home Operator, offered controls for turning switches on and off, temperature monitoring and could even store recipes and churn out a grocery list (smart fridges, anyone?)

This has come a long way, with the eighties being a decade where automation grew rapidly with fiber optics and motion sensor lights becoming mainstream.

The 90’s and the 00’s saw the concept of a fully automated home, and “smart” catch up, with security, privacy and remote monitoring of spaces added. It was also the time where the focus shifted from simply automating smart homes, to energy efficiencies and cost reduction. The industry was scaling up.

Affordable smart home automation – the Indian context:

Back home in India, we have always had the double power of numbers and the middle class – meaning, anything that was affordable, and convenient was sure to be a big hit. With the housing and realty sector booming, everyone was looking to add automation to their offering, make spaces smarter and better.Though it is still in a phase which is restricted to stand alone automation offerings, like lighting & smart switches or CCTV based security, or individual smart devices like smart cookers or fridges, we are getting there, say experts from a leading smart home automation services company in Hyderabad.

Studies show that if we had to priorities the average home buyers spend pattern in India, they’d invest in security, followed by lighting followed by water management. This influx of cheap internet and smart phone penetration too, have a huge role to play in this rising phenomenon.

Choosing cost effective smart home solutions:

There are plenty of options in the market today. You could automate your old house, but it would require tweaking of the electrical layout. Or a new home could be fitted accordingly. Whatever the case, you must consult with the experts who can offer customized holistic smart home solutions. You can start off automating on a budget, and if you are a new home buyer, just like you set aside funds for home beautification and interior decoration, you must consider smart home automation too.

Security: There are single outdoor cameras which you can control and link to your mobile phone for as low as 2000/- available. For a complete CCTV based home security system, that can record in dim light as well, systems start at 20,000. We recommend remote door locking mechanisms as an add on, which should cost you a few thousands in addition.

Lighting: This starts from choosing the right luminaires and integrating them with time and switching units, motion sensors brightness controls – all that you can control from your chosen device. The sensors and smart switches range anywhere between 3000-9000 while timer units come cheaper.

Water management:

As water gets scarce and water wars turn reality, metros larger cities are turning to efficient water management solutions. From tank overflows to leak detection,  to water quality management and irrigation water control systems for your kitchen garden, or if you are a apartment urban kisan, for your balcony, you can monitor them all. A credible system should cost you anywhere between 7000-10000.

Device based automation

We are talking about curtain bots, home entertainment systems – voice assistants, smart TV, home theaters and gaming consoles, smart kitchen equipment  – automatic grinder/cookers and smart fridges that offer insights on what supply is running low or can whip up a recipe for you depending on what ingredients are in the fridge while giving you the nutritional information. You can open or close curtains with the click of a button, have a remote to open the front gate and sync your home entertainment equipment using a single mobile application or remote.

You can also control ovens, freezers and refrigerators. These devices are usually the most capital intensive, for instance a smart TV starts at 30,000 while a smart fridge can go up to a lakh. You will start looking at benefits from home automation in terms of comfort immediately, and energy efficiency returns over a period of 3 years, predict a top Home Automation Company in Hyderabad. Think of it as an investment not a spend. What are you waiting for? Start you first step into the home automation journey today!