5 Essential Home Automation Ideas For Grand Rapids

One of the perks of choosing a Vivint home security system in Grand Rapids is that you can integrate it with home automation. Devices such as a smart thermostat will make your home more comfortable and eco-friendly. Smart locks allow you to remote control your entrances. And you won’t forget that you left the garage door up again once you get your automated garage door sensor.

However, as convenient as these tools are on their own, they can have an even larger impact when employed in tandem with your home security system. Here are just 5 incredible home automation ideas for Grand Rapids that will make your living space much more responsive to your needs:

Home Automation Idea #1: Go on the defensive when you go for work

Along with a bedtime procedure, you can program your automation rules to arm when your house is vacant. With the Vivint App, you can secure your house with one button press. Now you can ensure that every entryway is secured, every light is turned off, the alarms are set, and your cameras are on duty. You can even close the garage door through the app if you accidentally left it wide open.

You don't have to keep your home locked up the entire day. Open the doors for incoming friends or service professionals via the mobile app. Or place your house on alert without even looking at your phone. By placing a geofence around your property, your system arms each time you pull out of the driveway. Then when you come home, your alarms switch off, and your doors unlock when you pull up to the house.

Home Automation Idea #2: Put your home to bed

Your bedtime schedule has become routine: turn off the lights, lock the doors, change the thermostat, and prep your security system. However, how many times have you woken up to discover that you failed to lock the side door or left the bathroom light burning? And after you neglect to do one section of your nightly routine, it's easy to neglect it the next night, as well. Before you know it, your forgotten ritual becomes commonplace on its own.

But you can make sure that your house is set for bed every night when you automate your bedtime ritual. Through your Grand Rapids home security system, you can create scenarios that adjust all your gadgets without you going around the house. With a press of a screen, you can secure the doors, power off the lights, change the thermostat, and arm your security devices. Or don't fret about not remembering to touch a button. Designate your automation to activate at a set time -- like 11pm.

Home Automation Idea #3: Remain safe during a fire

While your home automation system makes everyday life simpler, it can also help in a fire or other emergencies. If your smoke detectors find a fire, your home automation devices can spring into action! Set your smart thermostat to instantly switch on the ventilation fan to hinder the spread of hazardous smoke. Then have the system power on all your smart lights to show the way out, and unlock all the doors for emergency specialists.

In fact, you can calibrate automated protocols to any emergency circumstances. Power on every light if a glass break detector trips. Blare your high decibel speakers when the medical panic pendant is used. Or get video segments sent to your mobile device when your smart locks trip. Virtually all of your tech can be interconnected to operate together in any way you think will help safeguard your home and family.

Home Automation Idea #4: Get updates to your mobile device

Always stay in the know of what's happening in your house through automated alerts delivered to your smartphone. Whenever a motion sensor on a security camera picks up unusual activity, you'll know with a text or push notification. Fire and safety alarms will send an alert so that you won’t come home to an undiscovered situation. Or have your smart locks text you when your kids return home from school. Once you get a notification, you can judge how to move forward.

Talk with anyone at your front door via the doorbell cameras to tell them where to leave a delivery. Check your smart cameras to see if the strange motion warrants a phone call to the authorities. Or remotely turn on your indoor smart lighting to frighten any unwanted intruders.

Home Automation Idea #5: Set moods for watching tv and everything else

Departing the house and putting your house to bed may be just one option on your home automation system. You can also customize presets for all sorts of moods. Tweak the lights just a smidge while lowering your motorized blinds for the penultimate movie theatre experience. Illuminate a dimly lit path from your bed to the kitchen for a nighttime snack.

You can devise a ”fun” scenario that automatically changes the lights and temperature to accommodate the additional body heat. Then when someone new comes to your door, you can ask them to let themselves in via your doorbell camera. And if you find you need another futuristic Vivint smart device you don’t already own, you can simply add it to your existing ecosystem.

Get started automating your home with your Vivint system

When you need a security network that harnesses the power of home automation, call the experts at Vivint. They’ll discuss your needs and tailor-make a system that surrounds your home and makes it work for you. Just call (616) 747-8419 or complete the form below right away!