If you’ve ever gone on vacation, you know that awful feeling that sets in when you suddenly suspect that maybe you didn’t lock the door or set the security system to on. Thanks to smart home technology, the days of having to turn the car around to satisfy your uneasy feelings of leaving something undone are over. No more worrying about getting to the airport late or wondering if your home is vulnerable to intruders while you’re out because now you can turn virtually anything on or off, or even shut the garage door, right from your smartphone.sld-logo

At Your Fingertips

What can you remotely control with your smart device? If it plugs in, you can probably operate it while away from home. Some of the most common items to hook up to a home automation system include:

  • Security devices – Some of the top picks include the Danalock Bluetooth Z-Wave Smart Lock, which allows you to deadbolt from afar and even unlock for visitors from anywhere in the world, and the Oplink Connected Alarm Shield, which comes with window and door alarms and sends you alerts and notifications in real time.
  • Thermostats – With attractive options like the Nest Learning Thermostat (a CNET best of 2015 pick), your home adjusts automatically to your temperature preferences by learning to heat and cooling patterns over time.
  • Lighting – Smart lights like the Belkin WeMo LED light bulb allow you to not only turn your lighting on and off from wherever you are via an app but also lets you program a vacation schedule so you can set it and forget it.
  • Garage door – The Chamberlain MyQ Garage Controller gives you control over your garage door, perfect for those times when you step out and forget to close it, leaving your possessions and home vulnerable to thieves.
  • Range – In home automation’s infancy you could only control your oven while on the same WiFi network as the appliance, restricting use to inside your home. Now with Internet-enabled ranges, made by companies like GE and LG, you can do anything you’d be able to do if you were standing right in your kitchen – down to programming what kind of food you prefer to cook and to preheating the oven, so it’s ready when you arrive home after a long day of work.
  • Home entertainment – Undoubtedly one of the most utilized advances in smart home technology has been the ability to control music and television choices from anywhere in the house. Options range from integrated whole-home systems to individual components like amplifiers and wall docks.

Installation Done Right

While all of these home automation options may seem overwhelming, you can quickly get started with the help of ServiceLive Direct from Sears, Roebuck and Company. With our network of over 34,000 authorized service providers across the nation, you can have one or several smart devices installed with no hassle. We connect you with service providers who will either install your existing equipment, or you can purchase your products from the Sears Connected Solutions Store.

With ServiceLive Direct from Sears, you can have complete confidence in your home upgrades. We not only require our providers to sustain a high level of consumer satisfaction but we also carefully vet each company, performing sex offender and criminal background screens before we approve their affiliation. We make it simple to put control of your entire home right at your fingertips.

Let our ServiceLive Direct professionals bring your home into the 21st century with expert service and installation. Visit our website today to start your journey to a connected lifestyle.

Sources:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/06/run-your-home-from-your-phone/index.htm
http://safesoundfamily.com/blog/50-best-smart-home-security-products/