Tips For Making Your Visiting Family Comfortable In Your Smart Home
With more than 40 percent of American homes forecasted to have smart features by 2020, your smart home will be in good company. However, if you're getting ready to welcome family from out of town who don't have any exposure to smart home technology, you'll want to plan ahead to make their introduction to and stay in your smart home easier. Here are a few ideas that you can consider before they arrive to help make their stay a comfortable one.
Put An Extra Temperature Sensor In The Guest Room
Since the guest room likely isn't one of the heaviest traveled areas in your home, you may not know if it runs hotter or colder than the rest of the house. If you want to be sure that your loved ones are comfortable, install a temperature sensor in the guest room. That way, your home's heating and cooling system will average the household temperature based on the main sensor as well as the one in the guest room to help keep the whole house, guest room included, at a consistent temperature.
As an extra bonus, you could even add a heating and cooling zone that's specific to the spare room. Then you can give them control of the temperature in that space without affecting the temperature in the rest of the house.
Set Up A Dedicated Electronics Essentials Station
Few things are as frustrating as arriving at your travel destination and realizing that you forgot the charger for your phone or tablet. Instead of leaving them to share a charger, consider setting up a section in the spare room with an accessible power outlet and a universal charger with several charging adapters. That way, they can keep their electronics charged without having to go buy an additional cord.
While you're at it, put an extra set of headphones in that space as well. That way, your guests can watch videos or listen to music without disturbing the other party or the rest of the house. Since headphones are one of those things that people often forget to pack, having a set accessible can be a real convenience.
Finally, put a card in the guest room with the rest of the electronics. On the card, write the password for the household wifi. That way, your guests will have access to the network without having to try to remember the password. You can even set up a separate guest access password on your wireless router if you want it for convenience. Then, you could disable that access password when your guests leave.
Create A Guest Code For Your Home Locks
Since smart home security systems usually rely on passcodes or key codes for accessing the house, you can easily give your guests access to come and go as they please by setting up a guest access code on your home's access panel. That way, you aren't worrying about a lost home key nor having to have someone there with them at all times. Additionally, you can get text alerts to your phone letting you know when they arrive in so that you don't have to worry.
Show Them How The Camera System Works
For some people, the integration of a smart home with the video security can be a bit unnerving. Take time when your guests arrive to show them how the camera system works. Explain to them how to activate various features that they might need, including the doorbell response, the audio verifications, and any other utilities they might use while they're there. This can help them feel more at ease.
Talk with your smart home programming contractor about how to add the extra codes and such for your family, then welcome your guests with the confidence that they'll feel like they're home. Or if you're unsure about any features, do more research online for smart home reviews and reviews on specific smart home features.
Share