How to Make a Smart Home

Can you imagine a life without the internet? We can’t, and neither can modern homes.

These days, many thermostats, lights, and even locks on front doors can be connected to the internet and controlled with a smartphone.

We call a home equipped with this modern technology the smart home, and it’s made our lives easier, safer, and more convenient. But do you know how to set one up?

This guide explains everything you need to know about how a smart home works and how you can build a smart ecosystem for you and your family.

Step 1: Home security

Having intelligent devices looking out for your home around the clock can give you peace of mind, whether you’re near or far away.

A complete home security system can discourage criminal activity, protect your home against prying eyes, and contribute valuable conveniences with advanced features.

Burglary detection

One of the biggest benefits of installing a smart home security system is that they detect potential intruders and warn you of suspicious activity around the house.

Equipped with a computer vision chip and Smart Deter technology, the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro detects lurkers. It scares them off with light and loud sounds if they linger for too long outside your doorstep.

For additional protection, choose Vivint’s professional monitoring service. Our team of Smart Home Pros will keep an eye on your home 24/7 and send first responders in case of an emergency.

With Vivint’s Outdoor Camera Pro and professional monitoring, you can rest easy knowing your home is safe, even if you’re hundreds of miles away.

Outdoor and indoor security cameras

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Crime Data Explorer, there were more than 4.1 million property-crime incidents in 2021.

If you’re concerned about the security of your home, installing both an indoor camera like the Vivint Indoor Camera and an outdoor security camera is a great idea.

These smart home devices can protect your home and family in the following ways:

• Motion and sound detection: With built-in motion sensors, Vivint cameras can detect motion and sound in their surroundings. You can stay in the know about what’s happening around your home day and night.
• Watch over those at home: Whether you have kids, older parents, or pets at home, we know keeping an eye on your loved ones is important. Vivint cameras make this possible, even while you’re at work or out of town.
• Communicate through two-way audio: Two-way talk capabilities allow you to speak to people in your home in real time. This means you can give instructions to the delivery driver or tell the pet sitter where they can find the dog food.
• Watch live footage of your home: With 1080p HD resolution and infrared night vision, Vivint cameras allow you to see high-quality footage of your home and surroundings from dawn until dusk.
• Seamless integration: Pairing your cameras with other smart gadgets and mobile apps (e.g., Apple Homekit, Google Nest, Google Home) is important for creating a fully automated home experience. If you’re interested in pairing smart devices, make sure to invest in a camera that meets compatibility criteria.

Smart locks

When it comes to home security, smart locks are one of the best investments you can make. Automatic locks connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and let you control doors remotely through your smartphone or your lock’s keypad.

Smart locks have many advantages over traditional lock systems. Here are just a few:

• Lock and unlock your door remotely: When you connect your smart locks to your smartphone, controlling your doors is as easy as tapping an icon on your mobile app.
• Assign individual passcodes: With a Vivint Smart Lock, you can create up to 30 individual access codes for family members and guests. And you can change or delete codes when they’re no longer in use.
• Know who checked in and out of your home: When you install a smart lock system, you’re in complete control of who’s coming in and out of your home — all through your mobile phone.
• Automatic locking and unlocking: If you often forget to lock the doors behind you, you can create custom rules so that your device locks after a certain amount of time or at predefined times, such as at 9 a.m. when you’ve left for work.
• Integration with other devices: For total home automation, integrate your smart locks with other devices such as video doorbells. The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro, light switches, and even smart plugs are some devices you’ll want to consider installing in your home.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

We all know some fundamental precautions for protecting our homes against fire. But with numerous fire hazards around the home — fireplaces, heaters, and clothes dryers to name a few — educating ourselves may not be enough.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) urges homeowners to install multiple smoke alarms to make homes safer in the event of a fire.

Here are some reasons you should consider installing a smoke alarm in your home:

• Smart smoke detection: As its name suggests, a smoke detector identifies smoke threats early, so you can act in time and save your home from disaster.
• Receive instant alerts: With the Vivint Smoke & CO Combo Detector, you’ll receive instant notification alerts before you even smell smoke.
• Detect carbon monoxide: Humans can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but the Vivint detector can. This rugged device uses electrochemical sensors to instantly identify the presence of CO, granting you time to act.
• Automatic actions: In the unfortunate event of a fire, your device will shut your HVAC system to minimize the spread of flames and automatically unlock the doors so that first responders can come in.

Step 2: Home automation

Once you have your home security system installed, you can focus on making your home more convenient with home automation features.

From smart displays to robot vacuums and smart doorbells, there are many different kinds of smart home products available to choose from on the market.

Here are some smart home products worth exploring:

Smart lighting with voice control

Imagine walking into your home and turning on the lights by saying, “Siri, turn on the lights.” Although this scenario sounded like science fiction a few years ago, controlling your lighting with your voice is possible today.

With smart lighting — like Philips Hue smart light bulbs and Vivint Smart Plugs — you can turn the lights on/off with your smartphone, dim or brighten the lights without a dimmer switch, and change the colors with the tap of a button.

Smart thermostats

For anyone trying to create the smart home of their dreams, a smart thermostat is a must-have. Smart thermostats connect to a Wi-Fi network and router so that you can control the temperature of your home from the palm of your hand.

Over time, smart thermostats learn what temperature you prefer and adjust accordingly. But apart from the comfort and convenience they offer, smart thermostats can save energy and money on heating and cooling bills.

Garage door control

Many people leave their garages open and unprotected at times during the day. But did you know that garages are often the easiest way for burglars to sneak into your home?

If you want to add an extra layer of security to your home, invest in a smart garage. With the Vivint Smart Garage Door Opener, you can open your garage from your mobile phone, let someone in remotely, or program your garage door to close automatically when you drive away.

Smart speakers

Controlling your smart devices with voice commands is just as cool as it is convenient. Smart speakers — like Amazon Echo speakers — can be used for listening to music, asking your virtual assistant questions, setting alarms, or controlling multiple smart home devices.

Pairing your smart devices with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant can help simplify your life. You can lock the doors while doing the laundry, control the lighting while busy with your favorite hobby, or turn up the volume to your favorite song while you’re in a different room.

Smart home app

A smart home wouldn’t be “smart” if it couldn’t be controlled from a single smart home app.

With Vivint, you can control all your devices together through a single mobile app, whether you have an Android or Apple phone.

The app makes it easier for you to automate processes and control various functions around your home, like locking the doors and turning smart light bulbs on and off.

Central hub

We may not always carry our mobile phone with us around the house. If you’re doing chores, you may opt to leave your phone on your table or dresser, but if you have a smart home, you can still control it through a central smart home hub like the Vivint Smart Hub.

Through the hub, you can unlock the doors, arm your smart security system, and even view real-time camera footage.

The Vivint Smart Hub is easy to use for all members of the family, even the kids.

Step 3: Professional installation with the Smart Home Pros

If you have ever tried to install something yourself, you know the hurdles of DIY installation. There’s nothing more frustrating than realizing you’ve installed the device incorrectly or that you need to purchase additional components to finish the job.

If you want to avoid the DIY route, our Smart Home Pros are here to take the hard work off your shoulders. All Vivint smart home systems include professional installation — meaning you can have confidence your device is installed correctly and functions properly.

Here’s what a professionally installed Vivint system means:

• Seamless integration with other devices: To create a smart home, all Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-connected devices should work together harmoniously — and that’s exactly what our Smart Home Pros set up for you.
• 24/7 monitoring: Having a second pair of eyes looking at your home 365 days a year can give you peace of mind, whether you’re at home or away.
• State-of-the-art home tech: Vivint offers some of the best smart home security devices on the market. The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro not only detects lurkers but also alerts them they’ve been spotted.
• Mobile app: The app is a central place to manage your smart home on the go — and that’s exactly what Vivint is all about.

If you’re ready to start creating the smart home of your dreams, book a free consultation with our Smart Home Pros by calling 855.822.1220 today.