Smart Home Automation: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As with all things, there are upsides and downsides, and home automation is no different in that respect. While smart home automation has a number of benefits to the savvy homeowner, there are some aspects that may not please everyone. When considering installing smart home technology in your home, it pays to be aware of the good, the bad and the ugly of home automation.

While you cue up the Ennio Morricone theme music, just remember that much of this may be subjective: what is good to one may not pass muster with another, and so forth. Furthermore, don’t take the terms too seriously: “bad” and “ugly” were chosen more for the thematic fun than for any true value judgment. Ultimately, it’s up to you, as the homeowner, to determine the best course for your home and the level of home automation you’re most comfortable with.

First, the good. Home automation gives you unprecedented control over much of your home’s appliances, power, utilities and security features. You can open and lock doors from afar, change the thermostat from your phone, turn appliances on and off without ever getting out of your chair and more.

Utilized properly, not only does this increase daily convenience, it allows you to lower utility bills with careful maintenance of certain functions, keep an eye on the house when you’re away and monitor all your day to day activities from a single portable device. It’s almost comprehensive in what it can for across your living space.

There is, however, the bad. Home automation relies on constant interconnectivity between every item; a power outage or system failure could leave your network fragmented and certain functions offline when you most want them. And there is the risk of sacrificing independence and convenience of a different sort for connectivity and ease of use in other ways. Sometimes, it really is just easier to flip a light switch rather than access your smartphone app to dim the lights. You’ll need to consider HOW interconnected you want your home to be and what you’re not interested in attaching to a home automation system.

Finally, there is the ugly, which comes down to two aspects: cost and installation. Some home automation systems can be quite expensive, especially as you keep adding functions and systems to your overall network. And there’s the hassle of installing the needed technology and tools, which can sometimes require professional help and the myriad hassles and costs of that, as well.

Luckily, with the help of BlueAccess, you can avoid many of the pitfalls of the ugly side of home automation. The company’s vaunted DIY home security kits are much more reasonable than many comparable systems and can be installed by the homeowner with relative ease, no professional installation needed.

Plus, with BlueAccess, you can add additional components over time as wanted, building a bigger network as needed or keeping it as small and simple as you need.

Home automation can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. With careful thought and use, and some help from BlueAccess, you can avoid the bad and ugly alike of home automation and emphasize the good above all in your home.