Is a Smart Home Worth it in Singapore?
With Chinese New Year rapidly approaching and preparations already underway, some of us might be wondering, “what can I do this year to spice things up for my friends and family?”
After spending months in isolation and quarantines, we want our reunions to be a memorable one and to leave a lasting impact.
The main question now would be, “how?” With the increasing trend of smart homes in Singapore, you may be tempted to jump on the bandwagon yourself.
But before making such a decision, we may feel compelled to dive deep into research first due to the possible high levels of investment in terms of both time and money.
Read on so you can have a clearer picture of the smart home climate in a local perspective so you can make a more educated conclusion.
“I don’t know what to get!”
With the rise in popularity of smart home technology, more and more companies are joining the fold in providing systems and products for you. However, this could be perceived as a problem to you, with the plethora of options out there. So how can you tell which solution is the best for you? The first step in deciding which provider to go with is to first decide what kind of products you want. Before comparing brands, you first need to consider how comprehensive you want your smart home coverage to be. A few focus areas you could consider include security, automation, or a mix of both, for example.
A more security-centric solution system would include devices such as LifeSmart’s security cameras, motion sensors, and our smart door lock. When these devices interconnect with each other, they can provide you with a holistic, and modular security system that assures your safety, as they are all capable of connecting and sending notifications to your phone should they detect any irregularities.
Alternatively, you could opt for a more automation-focused solution which encompasses all kinds of devices which simply make your home life easier. This includes devices such as automatic curtain tracks, and smart switches that can activate remotely or even be programmed to be activated at certain times. LifeSmart’s SPOT also helps in this aspect by acting as a central hub for all your IR remotes, so you can control your devices from your smartphone.
“It’s too expensive!”
One of the worries that always accompanies the preparations for Chinese New Year is ensuring that all your festive arrangements stay within budget. From catering, to red packets, to any decorations or necessary renovations, it is understandable why most would be quick to dismiss the idea of a smart home conversion.
After all, the main deterrent for most people is the belief that smart home systems will have you paying out the ear for a taste of the extravagant lifestyle. This common misconception may have been formed due to the fact that upon its inception, the main adopters of the smart home lifestyle were only the top 1% such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey.
This perception is definitely still prevalent today as around 34% of people believe that converting to a smart home will cost upwards of $5000. This is a significant overestimation as in reality, most homeowners start off with around 4 to 5 smart devices, totaling only around $500.
A more comprehensive set-up, while depending on the layout and number of rooms, can run you between $1000 to $3000. These figures are still a far cry from what most people would be willing to pay. A 2017 survey done in San Francisco found that a third of renters would be willing to pay an extra 5% in monthly rent for smart home functionalities which equates to thousands of dollars annually. This budget fits very well within the range of a fully furnished smart home.
What this means is that you may actually be unknowingly willing to pay more than what is required to get started in the smart home lifestyle. As a result, you won’t have to worry about pinching pennies to get a smart home after handing out all the “Ang Bao’s” this Chinese New Year.
“It will take too long!” Since the festive season has already made its presence known, some of us may have reservations about committing to a “renovation” due to the time investment and constructive work necessary to set up a smart home.
On average, renovation work can take around 6 weeks for a full home (3-bedroom) renovation. This includes a lot of hassle such as construction work, vendor management, and a lot of human movement through your home.
As a result, when people hear that setting up a smart home will require you to renovate, they are quick to brush off the idea due to the large perceived inconvenience. While this may be true for some brands, there are a few notable companies that put a lot of emphasis on the user’s experience and comfort.
For example, LifeSmart’s Basic Home Starter Package is entirely based on the “plug-and-play” mentality to make it as simple as possible to get your smart home started. What this means for you is that it can take under an hour to get the beginnings of a smart home set up and ready to play around with.
At LifeSmart, we want to ensure that the process is as streamlined and convenient as possible for you, so most of our appliances do not require any rewiring work which is one of the more enticing, unique features to our brand.
“But how do I know?” At the end of the day, only you can make the judgement call whether a smart home would be worth it for you. In a nutshell, the few factors you should be considering are
What purpose you want your smart devices to serve
What budget you are comfortable with for your preferred coverage