You gotta know your audience. That’s true anytime you’re selling something, but it’s extra true when you’re selling something that could fetch you hundreds or thousands of dollars more!
That type of money can mean only one thing: You’re selling your house. Hopefully, you’re working with a professional who can advise you on how to maximize your profit.
We’re sharing expert tips from realtors who know what home buyers want. These days, they want smart home tech.
The great news for you is, you can often increase your home’s value by adding a few smart home devices that will set you back less than $1,000 and often less than $100.
Here are six smart home gadgets that home buyers are looking for. Don’t skip No. 3 – it’s the first thing that home buyers see when they’re touring your home!
1. Thermostat
These days, you can remotely adjust the temperature in your house from any internet-connected device from just about anywhere in the world. You may already have a smart thermostat from Nest or another popular brand.
Smart thermostats save energy, which is always a plus. You can control temperatures and times so you get the cool or heat when you need it. They’re also easy to read from across the room, making remote adjustments easier.
The bonus when you’re selling your house is that home buyers see smart thermostats as they walk around. Smart thermostats automatically improve a home’s interior design and give buyers the confidence that they’re not going to have to re-do thermostats when they move in.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is the top of the line and a best-seller on Amazon. It integrates with other Nest products, like smart light bulbs and washer and dryer, and other smart devices. Nest can also monitor all your energy use so you know the best times to run some dishes or laundry. This thermostat also works with Alexa.
2. Smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector
Smoke detectors have saved countless lives over the past few decades. Carbon monoxide detectors have, too, although too few homes have CO detectors.
Still, both types are so commonplace that you forget you have them until, chirp!, that loud, shrill noise wakes you up when the detector’s battery is dying.
Good news on a couple of fronts, when it comes to smart detectors. They’ll send your smartphone an alert when they need new batteries. Far more important, your family and you will receive an alert when the devices detect smoke or deadly gas.
First Alert’s Onelink Safe & Sound alarm is a top new item in smart home devices. It has an omnidirectional speaker so its smoke and carbon-dioxide warnings can’t be missed. You can get remote notifications of an emergency in your home and customize a night light. You can even talk to Alexa through this alarm. It’s a lifesaver.
3. Video doorbell
In a flash, regular doorbells are nearly obsolete. Nowadays, you can hear your doorbell and see who’s at the door from your smartphone, no matter if you’re at work or on vacation halfway around the world.
This is hugely important when you’re not home but your kids or elderly parents are. It’s important when thieves are stealing packages at your front door.
Heck, it’s important for everyone’s safety. With video doorbells you can remotely get alerts and see (and talk to) whoever’s at your door.
Ring’s Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell is an Amazon’s Choice pick and has a four-star reputation. Ring’s video doorbell lets you see in HD video from your smartphone, tablet or PC. It will send you an alert when visitors press the bell or trigger the built-in motion sensors. You can also check in on your property at any time with video on demand. It works with Alexa, too.
4. Smart lock
The days of having a pocket full of keys or a giant keychain in your purse are over, at long last! These days, your car is keyless and, now, so is your house.
Smart locks are Wi-Fi enabled and communicate with your smartphone. You just need to get near your smart lock and it unlocks. Many keyless locks work with the deadbolt lock and keys you’re already using.
The August Smart Lock has four-star reviews and gives you secure, keyless entry for your smart home. It also attaches to your existing deadbolt, so you don’t need new keys. With your smart phone, you can send guests virtual keys to open the lock. You can also limit how long these virtual keys work, too. Of course it works with Alexa for voice control.
5. Smart LED bulb
You know that new technology is a game-changer when you can’t believe you used to do things the old-fashioned way. Case in point is coming home to your dark house, opening it and walking around with your hands searching for light switches.
That’s creepy and unsettling. Fortunately, smart LED bulbs let you remotely control them, so you can turn them on before you get home.
Plus, you can also use smart LED bulbs to entice home buyers. You can dim the lights so your house is warm and inviting, and gets sold fast!
The GE Lighting 99733 Energy-Smart LED bulb is a well-rated bulb. It replaces old 60-watt bulbs, and only uses 10.5 watts. They last more than 13 years, according to GE.
6. Smart speaker
You know Realtors have a few tricks up their sleeves to make your home as appealing to home buyers as possible. After all, the more comfortable a buyer feels in your home, the more money they’ll likely pay for it.
One trick to make your home more inviting is music. You may want to have classical music in the background to give your home a sense of quiet sophistication.
Or you may want to have pop music playing if your likely buyer is a family with kids. No matter which genre of music you choose, the sound will make buyers happy to be there.
Amazon’s second-generation Echo speaker can play your favorite music and more. This well-reviewed speaker will control your smart home with Alexa. It can also help you make purchases, call or message hands-free or deliver news and weather on demand. With seven microphones and noise cancellation, Echo hears you from any direction, so it’s responsive.