Smart Apartment Ideas - Easy Ways to Increase Your Comfort

As the technologies within nations, cities, towns, and then granularly to homes and apartments increase, people in this modern era are taking part in a trend that will only go upward from here: being smart.

We’re not being glib. Here, we’re using “smart” in a different sense. Our definition of smart cities, homes, apartments, and other urban structures is based on automation and the streamlining of data, energy, and construction. From apartments to homes to commercial venues and even cities as a whole, “smart” is being redefined for the modern era.

Man using smartphone in smart apartment with multiple connected devices

Now, let’s look at what smart apartments are. In essence, smart apartments are homes that use home automation in both the apartment building and the apartment themselves, smart amenities, and property management systems, all in one seamlessly integrated whole.

An example of a smart amenity would be a motion-detection lighting system within the apartment or a dryer that integrates “sense” features, detecting when to stop a load.

There are some serious advantages to living in a smart apartment. While they are likely more expensive than their conventional counterparts, the benefits of living in smart apartments help tenants adapt to the rapidly-changing market ecosystem around renting a property. Such benefits include:

Smart house concept design on top of smartphone

Flexibility. For one thing, smart apartments are highly conducive to an easy move-in/move-out process. They have pre-wired internet cables into the entire complex and handle utilities in one central digital location.
Cost-Effective. Yes, smart apartments are more expensive than conventional apartments if you just look at them by unit, but for those who can afford them, they’re much cheaper than owning a home. A study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the work-until-you-retire modus operandi isn’t the way millennials want to live their lives; instead, they’re willing to pack up and move to a whole new city for many reasons. Moving into a smart apartment is a cost-efficient way to integrate both financially and socially.
The Luxury of Novel Experiences. Millennials and Gen Z’ers are less focused on accumulating “stuff” and more on the value of experiences. Smart apartments offer such subjective experiences with the flip of a smart switch.
Being a Part of a Community. Another prime value of the abovementioned populations, smart apartments often have well-formed communities, as evidenced by common rooms, fitness centers, and the like. They often have planned get-togethers, lending a familial touch to a sleek setting.
Safety and Security. Smart apartments take advantage of the latest advances in technology designed to keep your space maximally safe and secure. Keyless entry, door codes, and building-wide wired home security are just a few ways smart apartments ensure your peace of mind.

Smart Technologies

Let’s take a closer look at some of the smart technologies you’ll find in a typical smart apartment.

Smart Security

This usually involves the use of digital cameras, which are an explosively popular trend on the market today. A smart security camera is a device that involves motion detection, integrates flawlessly with smartphones, and provides a 24/7 panorama of your living space to prevent intruders from even being motivated to try getting into your apartment at all.

Voice-Activated Entertainment

This trend has been going on for quite some time and seems to never stop advancing. Depending on how much you want to invest in your home entertainment system, you can get varying degrees of smart audio, video, and other digital media for your apartment. From smart speakers to the latest in television technologies, there’s – literally – a world at your fingertips and at the sound of your voice.

Energy Efficiency

Part of the art of smart is having a keen sense of how decisions with electricity affect your environment. While convenience, elevated experiences, and digital integration all form the foundation of smart apartments, sustainability has a place alongside them.

Property managers who install energy-efficient appliances, thermostats, lighting, and other smart devices create a win-win scenario for themselves and their residents, reducing the cost of resources and energy needed for smart apartments.

Smart Appliances

Remember how young adults are looking for experiences more than things these days? Well, smart appliances in smart apartments elevate the everyday living experience to a place of luxury and convenience.

In smart apartments, residents can control refrigerators, ovens, washing machines and dryers, and even toasters with vocal cues over Bluetooth using a smart speaker home assistant, like Google Nest. Pretty neat, huh?

Smart Thermostats

Climate control is definitely in for modern, luxury apartments. A smart thermostat and cooling system addresses usage metrics, time of day, and inside/outside temperature patterns – even down to the weather. By using these smart devices, you can save energy in your smart apartment because the heat and cold are always self-adjusting at a highly granular level.

Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is definitely trending right now. Basically, smart lighting is the ability to digitally control the lighting functions in your apartment, from on-and-off to dimming to color and even remote control. It could also involve energy-efficient lightbulbs, a significant win for sustainability.

Smart home living room with graphic of managed devices

FAQs

Also known as Apartment IoT (Internet of Things), smart apartments are digitally integrated apartment homes that cover every level of the tenant experience, from security to entertainment to appliances and more. Their chief features are convenience, sustainability, and elevated experiences.

They work via voice control, adaptability via motion detection, remote control, detection of weather patterns, and the general state of your apartment. For instance, robot cleaners often function off a remote control platform, and home entertainment uses Bluetooth.

One easy change you can make is to install smart plugs in your electrical outlets. This will enable you to control any device you plug into the outlet from a connected smartphone or tablet. You can also purchase a smart speaker such as Amazon Alexa or Google Nest so you can control temperature, lighting, and more with only your voice. You can also install a wireless doorbell video camera – the door viewer of the twenty-first century!

Yes and no. At first glance, your monthly rent will be higher for a smart apartment than a conventional one. However, if you use features like a smart thermostat and smart lights that save energy consistently, other costs generally associated with rent will drop significantly, making smart apartments an over-time investment worth pursuing.

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Smart Apartment Ideas: Easy Solutions to Increase Your Comfort