IMAGINING THE HOME OF THE FUTURE

Technology pervades every part of our lives in 2017. And according to the Moore’s Law this is just the beginning – they predict that information and computer technology will double in capability every 12 to 18 months in the near future.

New and exciting technology such as Amazon’s Alexa – a voice activated smart home integration device – are already starting to make their way into the average property. What will the home of the future look like, and how can you start bringing your home to the cutting edge of smart-living?

Full smart integration

Everything in your home will be connected via WiFi in the near future. This is full smart integration, a process that allows you to control nearly everything in your home remotely via your laptop, smart phone or tablet.

While most people know what a smart home is, plenty don’t understand how convenient it could be.

Samsung’s Smart Things system, for example, allows you to remotely lock or unlock your doors and monitor your home from anywhere in the world, giving you peace of mind and added security.

On top of that, with the right devices, you’ll be able to turn on the heat pumps on your drive home, remotely lock the kid’s TVs and devices after bed time or stream your favourite music via voice command. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s even ‘smart toilets’ available. These have heated seats, in built air purifying systems and a sensor that turns on when you enter the room so that the toilet seat massages you when you sit on it. This idea seems completely ridiculous, but it shows how completely smart technology could be a part of our lives in future.

Ultra-functional kitchens

What good is technology if it doesn’t make our lives easier? That’s the philosophy behind a range of features finding their ways into modern homes Australia-wide.

These include subtle conveniences such as hydraulic soft close draws, moveable kitchen islands and induction hobs.

If you haven’t seen one yet, induction hobs are ingenious cooking tops that use magnetic energy to generate heat inside the pan, instead of on the element.

This means that the hob remains relatively cool and safe, even straight after cooking and that if an element is left on it won’t be hot unless a pan is placed on it.

Lastly, and perhaps most excitingly is the smart fridge. Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator takes photos of your fridge’s contents every time you close the doors, so that you can check remotely from your smart phone if you need to. It even has a touch screen, on which you can order groceries, display photos or calendars and play music via Pandora.

Tech free zones

When’s the last time you looked at your smart phone? According to a Deloitte report, last year Australians collectively glanced at their phones 440 million times a day, and 79 per cent of Australians own a smart phone (considering this statistic includes people of all ages, that’s rather impressive).

With all the screen time we get, sometimes it’s essential to get a little break away from it all. That’s why modern homes are adopting the concept of tech free zones – areas within the home devoid of a single screen, device or remote.

These are perfect areas for really relaxing and disconnecting. Think reading a book, playing cards or board games, or pursuing other non-tech related hobbies.

If you’re thinking about making a change or two to your abode, it doesn’t have to max out your home loan. With a little advice and forethought you can transform your property into a convenient, smart home of the future.