In the last 10 years technology has virtually changed every aspect of our lives. It began with the smartphone, but has now extended into just about every day-to-day task a person participates in. One interesting aspect that has been a little slower to catch up to the technology trends has been that of home automation. This is largely because in 2008 there was a housing crisis and there were very few homes built. It is also because homes tend to last a lot longer and people can live just fine in a home built before the iPhone.
Home automation is catching up, however, and making great strides every single day. There are some industries that will naturally explode as home automation begins to take over every new home. Here are just a few.
Internet
Yes, most homes already have internet. But there is so much more that that the internet can be doing for homes and so much improvements that will need to be made with internet. One thing that is likely to begin happening in new homes is built-in internet. Currently you have to go choose a provider, they go install something in your home, adding wires or dishes to an already cluttered roof, then you are good to go. The next family purchases the home and they choose a different provider and install an entirely new set of wires. Many older homes have dozens of wires running around the outside of the home. That will not be the case in new homes. They will come wired and ready for internet use. And not just the home either. The appliances that come will be ready to connect to the internet. Printers, crock pots, coffee makers, everything will come ready to connect to a home that is connected to the internet.
Security
Many people have valid concerns about the internet of things. Most people have watched some of the more recent Hollywood films where an foreign enemy or artificial intelligence uses the web to wreak havoc in the U.S. While these are obviously created for viewing pleasure and don’t necessarily reflect reality, a lot of the scenes depicted in these movies would actually technically be possible with the internet of things. If your cameras, appliances, home, garage, and car were all connected via the internet, then a hacker theoretically would be able to control all of these devices. Keep a close eye on internet security and you will see dozens of companies pop up and the market value of some of the bigger names explode in price.
Home Warranty
Most people haven’t thought of this, or maybe don’t even know what a home warranty is. Let’s break it down. If appliances start coming with built in internet connectivity and smart features, it can be logical to assume that these appliances will cost a lot more to obtain. It is also logical to assume that repair and maintenance costs will start to go up as the appliances become more and more complicated and the skill levels of people that need to fix them is required to follow. This means that a broken fridge is no longer a few hundred dollars to repair, but potentially a couple of thousand dollars. This will make a lot more people prone to get a home warranty in order to avoid catastrophic financial losses.
These are just a few of the industries that will explode. When the growth occurs is anyone’s guess. One way to get a good idea of when this type of thing will occur is to just keep an eye on your local MLS. I live in Florida and check the flat-fee MLS page quite often to make sure I am up-to-date on new home trends. It takes 10 minutes a week and is worth every second.