Are you one of those homeowners who underestimate the needs of their home? While you are right to exercise prudence in spending—e.g., skipping on unnecessary appliances—you may also be missing on the nifty gadgets that can make your life easier and happier.
Here are five items you probably didn’t know your house needs:
1. Thermostat
Some data suggests that around 40% of American homes don’t have thermostats. That’s pretty understandable. Perhaps you believe that you are wise enough to control your HVAC system manually.
Thermostats, though, have proven themselves to be extremely effective in decreasing your utility costs, especially during the summer and winter. None other than the Department of Energy believes in their capability.
The department revealed that just adjusting your thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit from its normal settings for eight hours a day can help you save 10% of your total spending for heating and cooling annually.
Although some thermostats are still manual, many are already programmable. That saves you plenty of time and hassle. You won’t even have to worry about “forgetting” turning them on and off.
Even better, if you want to upgrade your property into a smart home, you can easily link your programmable thermostats into the network. You may now control the settings on a mobile app anytime, anywhere (as long as you have an Internet connection).
2. Garage Door Opener
In Utah, most homes are huge, with garages that can accommodate more than two vehicles. While that’s some great news, garage doors are a different story.
They are some of the heaviest doors in your home. A typical design can already weigh over 125 pounds. Although most are already automatic, you can still feel the weight.
Worse, garage doors increase the risk of a pinching injury, which happens when fingers get stuck between the panels. Annually, about 7,000 Americans experience it, some of whom unfortunately end up in the ER.
The best way to avoid these problems is to invest in a garage door opener and other key metros in Utah. With it, you can forget about lifting and having to leave your vehicle to open your garage (which is dangerous, by the way).
3. WiFi Boosters
Are you working from home? If you believe your office situation won’t change anytime soon, you better make the most of your home office and buy excellent gadgets to help you with your job. One of these is a WiFi booster.
Sometimes called an extender, it is a device that works “as a middleman” between the router and the PC (or other devices trying to connect to the network). Usually, when these gadgets are far from the source of the Internet, the signal strength drops. In turn, the Internet may be slow, intermittent, or even nonexistent.
The extender helps your devices and the router to communicate more effectively. It also allows your PCs or mobile phones to connect to the signal received by the booster. Those who use it thus often reveal receiving better signals.
Boosters are the best in homes with dead spots or with a lot of signal barriers. These can include trees, walls, and skyscrapers.
4. Alarm Clock
Do you sleep with your mobile phone nearby? Then you’re not alone. You are even likely to use it as your alarm clock. After all, it seems there’s nothing this device can’t do.
But the reality is you’re doing more harm than good to yourself. Many studies already show that the light emitted by a phone, laptop, or tablet can disrupt your sleeping patterns.
It tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daylight. Thus, it becomes more challenging to fall asleep. Let’s not forget that using your device at night puts you deep into a rabbit hole of browsing and chatting and whatever else you love to do online.
Fortunately, the simplest and cheapest way to kick this habit for good is to go back to the basics. Either wake up when your body’s ready to do so or buy an alarm clock. You can place your phone in your home office, another room, or a few feet away from you.
5. HEPA Air Purifier
Just in case you haven’t heard, Utah’s about to experience an inversion. The levels of air pollution will skyrocket, increasing your risk of allergic reactions and respiratory diseases. These are not conditions you want to experience now that the country is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
While you cannot do anything to stop the phenomenon, you can improve air quality, at least indoors. Buy a high-quality HEPA air purifier. It can trap pollen, dust, and small particles up to 0.3 microns that can irritate your lungs or even carry pathogens that can make you sicker.
When it comes to buying home gadgets, it’s not about the cost but the value you get. If it makes your life safer and better, it is likely worth the penny you spend.
