How to Inspect a Smart Home

According to a recent study, over 55 percent of the residences in America will be smart homes by 2021.

For professionals in the home inspection industry, working with smart homes has been a bit challenging. These homes are far more advanced than traditional residences, which usually means you will spend a lot longer inspecting them.

As the smart home revolution rages on, more and more inspectors will have to learn the intricacies of the technology that powers these new homes. Here are some things you need to remember when inspecting a smart home.

Does the Smart Home Have a Hub?

The first thing you will need to figure out before inspecting a smart home is whether or not it has a hub. Many smart homeowners use hubs because it allows them to control the technology in their residence with one device.

Systems like the Samsung SmartThings hub can be used on a wide array of devices. Testing the various smart home devices can be much easier for a home inspector if there is a hub.

Ensuring High-Tech Appliances Are Functioning Properly

Most technologically advanced homes will feature a number of smart appliances. During your inspection, giving these appliances a thorough inspection is a good idea. When trying to assess the overall condition of these appliances, be sure to pay close attention to the touchscreen displays they have. Over time, these displays may become unresponsive due to the heat they are exposed to.

Assessing the Functionality of a Smart Thermostat

If a smart home has a smart thermostat, you will need to check it to ensure it can be controlled by a mobile device. These thermostats are designed to learn a person’s daily routine and adjust the temperature to their liking based on certain behaviors. The sensors in these smart thermostats can also sense when the home is empty and adjust the temperature accordingly.

The Nest Smart Thermostat has built-in features that allow you to test their accuracy. Once you have tested this part of the smart home, you can give your client information on how well it performed.

Testing Smart Locks

With smart locks, homeowners can use a touchscreen interface to enter their residence. These locks also alert homeowners when someone tries to break in. Making sure the codes in place work on this lock is essential. While a new homeowner will want to change the codes the previous residents used, home inspectors can use the existing codes to thoroughly test the locks.

Advising Clients on How to Maintain Their Smart Home

Providing your clients with guidance on how to maintain their smart home is something you need to view as a priority. Doing things like updating the software on their home automation devices can help a homeowner avoid problems in the future. Smart homeowners can also download a backup of their automated programming sequencing. This backup will be helpful in the event of a system crash.

Changing the batteries in all of the remotes that operate the smart features in a home is also essential. Once these batteries are replaced, homeowners need to test the remotes to make sure they still operate correctly.

Learning all about the ins and outs of modern smart homes is essential to your continued success as a home inspector. As more home buyers invest in these smart structures, your knowledge in this field will come in handy.