The Useful Tip To Prevent Tech Troubles With Your Smart Home Devices

Smart homes are becoming standard practice for a lot of people. Even if your home doesn't feature the full spectrum of smart home automation available, you likely have some pieces that fall under this tech umbrella that are beginning to make your house a smart home. No matter how advanced, any technology can have troubles and hiccups that affect how these systems perform. While a little malfunction here or there might not concern you, it could be worth keeping track of your smart home's functionalities, upgrades, and even those troubles, so you know if it needs more than just a reset. Keeping a home journal is fairly common practice for many: After all, it's handy to have your device passwords, phone numbers for pest control and cleaning services, addresses, and recipes in one spot. With this in mind, why not add a log of smart home devices and automations you have installed and note any issues with them — especially those that repeat and may cause issues for new homeowners, guests, or even family members down the line?

Your smart home technology integrations that modernize your home can have all kinds of malfunctions, from small login issues to complete shutdowns. If your security camera isn't properly capturing and recording footage, or the camera is cracked or showing signs of wear, this is useful to note. It can be a reminder to replace or upgrade, which means you will know if there's a period when your camera may not have been recording properly since it started having issues. 

The question of how much value smart devices can add to your home is a good one, and studies have shown they can increase a dwelling's value by up to 5%, according to Consumer Reports. However, people don't want to invest in broken smart homes. Things like smart blinds that don't lift or lower, lighting that flickers or doesn't adjust properly, and even a smart garage that doesn't open and close when needed will likely affect new homeowners when you move out. Many smart home automations are built into today's dwellings, and they aren't always removed when you sell. Because of this, passing on information about the manufacturer and how to fix issues is a big help. In your logbook, you should even note down when certain fixtures and tech were added so people can keep track of how long they have been in use and when upgrades might be necessary.

The more information you keep for yourself and provide to others, the more seamless repairs, updates, and overall interactions with your smart home will be. If you've had something replaced or fixed, include that, too. If you're overzealous, it could help to keep an extra log of battery replacements, warranty expirations, and charging cable locations, too, all in the name of easier smart home interactions and maintenance!