Homes are getting smarter every year, with small technical upgrades seeping in gradually. This shift towards smart homes has been barely noticeable at times – first came the internet, then tools like Amazon Alexa, and now biometric devices. Soon, houses may become integrated technological ecosystems like something out of a sci-fi movie.
As a landlord, you may feel like there’s no need to add smart features to a home you won’t be living in. However, there could be various benefits to doing so, as the homes of the future will all be kitted out with such upgrades.
Smart Features Can Add Value to Your Properties
As a landlord, your main source of income is going to obviously be from renters. However, the properties also act as investments as well, which is why it’s a great idea to upgrade them as much as you can. In a few years, everyone’s going to be looking for abodes with smart features, so these can easily add some value to your properties now.
In fact, being able to advertise technological aspects of the home is an excellent way to help you sell a house fast nowadays. When you use online services for this, you have to fill out an online form with details about the house to get a cash offer within minutes. By mentioning some of the forward-thinking additions you’ve installed, you may be able to get a higher offer.
Smart Locks are a No Brainer
Many landlords would say that if you’re going to get any smart upgrade for your property, it should be smart locks on the doors. After all, if anyone breaks into the house and steals stuff, there’s a good chance it could be your belongings that they take. Smart locks negate the need for traditional keys too, meaning that no tenants are ever going to lose the keys and cause you additional headaches.
If you put in smart locks with additions like video doorbells, motion detectors, and smart cameras, it’s going to be appealing to tenants too. Along with not having to look after keys, it can make them feel safer when they’re in the home. Using smart tools, it can also mean that you can keep an eye on your houses and cover yourself if any of them get burgled.
Smart Thermostats and Lighting Can Save Costs
One of the key focuses of the smart home trend is on sustainability, and it makes a lot of sense to install smart thermostats and lightning. Doing this can cut costs on energy bills, which is a great thing to advertise to potential tenants.
The other great thing about this is that you can monitor the energy usage in the house and make sure that tenants aren’t wasting electricity anywhere. This is particularly appealing to landlords who are conscious of their carbon footprints.
If you haven’t installed any smart upgrades yet, you’ve probably considered it. For landlords that don’t know where to get started, it’s probably best to cover these key areas first. Later, you can move onto other smart upgrades around the home.