Smart Home Capabilities
bunty247
8 months ago
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Paul F.
8 months agoMark Bischak, Architect
8 months agoRelated Discussions
Best areas to save money
Comments (14)definitely shopping around. We ended up with a more expensive travertine at a lesser price than "cheaper" ceramic tile, all because we shopped around! We also found a recommended tile setter crew, rather than using the local tile store, which wanted a small fortune (and you had to buy their outrageously priced flooring. They would not install anything but their own (seriously marked up) products. We've decided to wait on planning a pool and having it installed, so of course that is a massive savings right there. LOL! Also, watch holiday weekends (the one coming up!) and sale flyers for savings on appliances, plumbing fixtures, lighting, etc. Many online stores (or regular stores) have sales for the holiday weekends, and you can save a bundle! Something I am doing is trying to shop in neighboring states, rather than our own, for big ticket items (like our kitchen appliances). I found a store in a neighboring state that will deliver for free, because I have a large order. AND, I don't get charged sales tax as I am out of state. That is a very big savings right there! I shun credit cards, but just yesterday I opened one at a store I was shopping in, to receive the discount they offered me by opening an account. They rang me up. I put it on my new "temporary card". I then walked over to Customer Service and paid the "card" off. So I still won't pay interest, but I saved almost $200.00!! To me, it was worth it. Just remember to close those accounts so you don't raise eyebrows with your lender at all of the newly opened accounts. LOL! Don't be afraid to ask for a discount if you are purchasing multiple items from one supplier. Not all will oblige, but some will, and it's a good feeling to save a bit. Our lighting store is giving me 20% off because I have a large order, and I asked for one. They didn't offer it until I asked. And I didn't ask until they saw how much I was ordering! It worked like a charm. Stores need your business. Try to entice them to give you a savings. If it means a large sale for them, they are more willing to accomodate your request. If you only buy one item, probably not so willing to negotiate price with you. Just ask politely, but like you expect it. I say something like "Great. Our order looks perfect. I like the selections we made today. What discount can you offer me for my large order"? It's not offensive. They don't have to give you one at all. But I find that many, if asked politely and with a kind smile, are more than willing to give you a deal. Makes them feel good that they made a sale, makes me feel good that I saved a few dollars. Happy all around. So just ask! My last savings thought is related to design. Most photos in higher end design magazines show really expensive finishes. And building a home helps you quickly realize that all of those expensive finishes add up to one horrendously expensive home. So, do your homework. If you really love a certain tub, check around and just get a price range. Then you'll know right off if you need to give up your dream of the fancy light kits in your bathtub, or the disco ball in the game room... whatever it may be. I find it easy to give up some of my wishes when I prioritize what is most important to me. I can do without some things (an expensive chandelier) when I remind myself that by choosing a less expensive fixture (still pretty, just not as ornate maybe) I can put the flat screens in all the rooms we had planned on. Or by running our own speaker wire to the 1st floor rooms, we can still get a whole house music system on the 1st floor (the only place we really wanted it) and save thousands of dollars. That saved money can buy the best stereo system components for the best sound system available. Things like that. I guess I'd put it in a nutshell by saying "doing without unimportant things, to get the most important ones on my list". Yes, I'd love smart home capabilities. Yes, I'd love an 8 stall horse barn and lighted outdoor riding arena. But perhaps my money can be better used to buy a piano for the children to take music lessons on, for furnishings in the various rooms that will make our home a cozy, comfortable space to live. I've lived in "empty rooms" when first out of college and in 1st apartment, and it was neither cozy nor comfortable. Remembering that, I'll take the furnishings over the horse barn that would possibly sit unused since we are so busy! Okay, enough of my rambling thoughts. Enjoy your process, and I'm looking forward to seeing photos of the cabin as it goes up! Don't forget to share. I don't see enough timber/log homes go up on this site. That will be a fun one to watch!...See MoreAmazon Echo/Alexa: Do You Have One???
Comments (45)I really like listening to Pandora on my dot (I have it hooked up to my UE Boom for better sound), and my three-year-old grandson likes being able to ask Alexa to play his favorite songs. I use my dot as a timer when I do washer/dryer loads. I like getting my local weather on demand, and it's so easy to get the weather for anywhere in the country. I love that by using the any.do app I always have my shopping list on my phone. TuneIn radio is handy to get radio stations from across the country, and my local AM channels sound better on TuneIn than on my radio....See MoreSmart Home / Home Automation Options
Comments (7)the thing is, there are about a million factors to consider, and each brand has pros and cons. we have a ton of devices (my husband is a programmer and loves them), so I have a ton of opinions about this stuff. the one smart device we're avoiding is anything that can unlock the house doors. (but we do have amazon key to open our garage for package delivery -- our garage is detached so that feels safe enough for us.) my favorite thing? Amazon Echo. I love it for music and streaming NPR. the sound quality is great. it takes up almost no space and looks really good. we have a Nest thermostat and smoke detector. honestly? mixed. it's really bad at sensing when we're both gone, so I have to remember to turn the heat down manually whenever I leave. also, it doesn't run our heat pump the way it's supposed to (as in low, slow and constant). it just turns it on and off all day like how a gas furnace is run. that drives me bonkers. the good: we can have temperature sensors in multiple rooms, set schedules, and control the temp with the app, so that alone makes it worth it. as for the Nest smoke alarm -- whenever we're about to set it off while cooking, the app is too slow to disarm it. you have to get on a chair and push the button, just like with a cheap alarm. but if there's smoke and we're not home? we'll get an alert. handy! we have an Amazon Cloud Cam and love it. it has rarely messed up in the years we've had it. it's really good at turning on as soon as we leave. seems pretty reliable - but we don't have pets so I don't know what that would be like. we have a Ring doorbell and I HATE it. the app is slow to load the camera feed. when I'm at home and it rings, I run for my phone first and then run to the door. (if I don't answer the ring app, then it'll keep buzzing both our phones, so that's annoying.) I want to get rid of it....See MoreSmart home: Would you give up smart kitchen appliances for this?
Comments (9)The GE oven I wanted came with wi fi connection, so I have experimented with it just to see if it's useful. Newideas is right: if the Bertazonni has delay start & timed cook features, you won't miss an app. I suggest going to Google Play or the Apple Store & read the Smart HQ reviews -- they are mostly negative. My experience with SmartHQ: it's ok, but I can easily live without it. It needs to reconnect to my oven frequently, & remote operation, say from the grocery store parking lot, is sluggish. The oven bell is loud enough that I can hear it everywhere within my house, so that negates the app Cooking is Completed feature. Plus I'm in the habit of noting what time I start cooking, so I have a pretty good idea about remaining cook time, no need for the app to tell me. It will be a sad day when I'm too lazy to get up off my rear end to get to the oven to turn it on or off versus using my phone. And that's about all it does: turn on/off, set or adjust temp & time. GE does dangle the offer of free upgrades via the app. My oven might get an air fry feature or a Precision Cook feature in the future, judging from the ads in the app (yes, there are ads). You can use it to schedule service, & I think some services can be done remotely via the app. Sounds good in theory. But now you have to fuss with app/phone operating system compatibility, available phone storage space, & software/hardware aging woes -- all the usual tech annoyances. Will it all seem so cool in 10 years with a still perfectly good oven but with outdated computer features? Will I pay to upgrade the motherboard or cpu or whatever? An article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal says that ransomware is a huge issue now, very lucrative for hackers so they are increasingly on the prowl for targets. ETA: I am a geek. I love bells & whistles, software & hardware, new technology. So my bias would normally be in favor of smart appliances. But my connected oven -- the utility just isn't there yet....See MoreJennifer Hogan
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Mark Bischak, Architect