Tech Talk: 3 Smart Home Devices to Sell Your House Faster

With interest in smart home technology growing rapidly, adding a few key gadgets to your house in preparation for a sale is an excellent way to give it an edge. In fact, a survey by Coldwell Banker found that among those looking to buy a home in the next year, 75 percent of people want smart thermostats and smart smoke alarms pre-installed, and a little over 60 percent are interested in smart security features. Below is a quick rundown of the top three smart devices buyers are interested in.  

1. Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats give you greater control over a home’s climate than the traditional programmable options. With an internet connection, they can be controlled remotely to save energy when you’re away. However, a really smart thermostat, like the Nest Learning Thermostat, actually learns your climate preferences so you don’t need to program it at all. 

Nest also senses your presence and adjusts accordingly, saving you money. The company claims this smart device will save 10 to 12 percent on heating and up to 15 percent on cooling. That’s an impressive figure to show off to a buyer. A smart thermostat can also pair with other connected devices to "shut down" your house automatically when you leave. For example, Nest uses presence sensors to know when the house is empty, and can then turn the lights off, lower the connected shades, and even lock the door. 

2. Smart Smoke Alarms

Standard smoke alarms have something of a fatal flaw: unless someone’s around the hear it, it’s not going to stop your house from burning down. Smart smoke alarms fix this by sending an alert to your phone. 

Nest’s Protect and First Alert’s Onelink Safe & Sound smoke alarms further improve on this crucial safety device by adding voice alerts (which can be more effective than just an alarm, especially for children); allowing you to silence certain alarms from a phone (no more crazy kitchen towel dances to clear the smoke from burnt toast); and cut down on those annoying low battery chirps by offering (silent) alerts on a phone. 

Onelink goes a step further, turning your smoke alarm into a media device by adding in a smart speaker with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. This way, you can get weather updates, news, and even listen to audio books through your smoke alarm. It’s also a Bluetooth speaker, and if you have more than one they’ll play music in sync, giving you hardwired in-ceiling speakers throughout your home—an appealing addition for many buyers. 

3. Smart Security System

All-in-one smart security systems differ from traditional options because they don’t require professional monitoring—the homeowner can be their own monitor, receiving alerts to a smartphone. These systems are also more stylish and simpler to operate. 

The Nest Secure alarm system boasts elegant, slimline sensors that double as nightlights; easy to use tags to arm and disarm the alarm; and the option of using a smartphone app or a keypad—so no more frantic dashes out the front door chased by loud beeps. 

A smart security system is also a starter kit for a smart home, something a potential buyer can build on once they move in. For example, with compatible devices, you can use Nest Secure to create a home that automates your entry and exit—lowering the heating, shutting off the lights, turning on connected cameras, and locking the front door for you when you leave (then doing the reverse when you return)—all with just a tap of a button or a voice command to your Google Assistant.

There are lots of excellent smart thermostats, smoke alarms, and security devices you can buy for your smart home. In this roundup, we focused mainly on products from one manufacturer, because when it comes to selling your house, don’t intimidate buyers with the more complicated side of smart home technology—keep it clean, simple and smart. 

If you're interested in learning or seeing more about the home featured in the video above, check out this article highlighting the remarkable house:

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