Household penetration is at an all-time high in the Australian smart home market, currently at 19.1% with an expected 37.6% increase by 2022, and it’s no surprise why with everyone joining the revolution from all stages of life. Smart home technology is no longer associated solely with early adopters or tech-minded millennials and now everyone is buying a smart home regardless of their age.
The reason behind this multigenerational fascination with the smart home is that the technology meets their differing needs. While Millennials seek flashy gadgetry, Gen Xers appreciate the cost savings of energy efficiency, and Baby Boomers like the additional security that remote access affords.
And with one-in-four Australian households now employing smart technology, the concept of the smart home has transformed from a luxury accessory to an item of sheer and readily accessible convenience, if not necessity. Read on to find out why you should consider investing in a smart home like MyPlace no matter your age.
Millennials
Want to get a foot on the property ladder? Why not future proof your first home by making it smart? A smart home is a fantastic investment for your future and adds instant value to your property. And now is the perfect time to do so, with Millennials now the largest group of potential home buyers on the market according to the 2017 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trend Report by the National Association of Realtors.
As a group, Millennials are already aware of and interested in owning smart home products. As the first generation who has truly grown up with the Internet, they understand how useful modern, connected technology can be in their home and expect more as a result. A smart home can deliver on this expectation and is why it offers a huge appeal to this incoming generation of homebuyers.
In fact, a recent survey by Wakefield Research found that Millennials want smart home technology more than ever, with 86% stating they would be willing to pay more for a home or rental property if it had smart home technology. The NBN Co also reported that 44% of Millennials would rather have an apartment with smart technology than a parking space, showing the importance placed on automation and technology by Australian Millennials.
Advantage Air’s MyPlace smart home control system is the perfect technology to appeal to this new type of home buyer entering the market, as it’s easily controlled via a smartphone – a must-have for any millennial. As these young people begin to settle down and have families, the MyPlace touchscreen offers them the perfect place to connect all their smart products and apps.
A dedicated tablet for the home, in addition to controlling the air con, lights, garage, blinds, etc. in your home, the MyPlace touchscreen doubles as an Android tablet that lets you keep track of your calendar, check emails, order groceries, play music, check your security cameras and so much more.
Gen X
Smart homes are also perfect for families of all shapes and sizes. Whether you have just welcomed a new baby into the family or have a handful of teenagers still living at home, you’ll want to achieve your ultimate comfort zone. However, the main concern for many Gen Xers is the energy and cost it takes to run their homes.
Energy efficiency is becoming a real deal maker or breaker for many Australian buyers who have endured rising electricity prices for a number of years. In fact, according to realestate.com.au three quarters of its users surveyed said they were concerned about the cost of electricity and four in five said they were actively trying to conserve energy as much as they can.
But the reality is, when you have an entire family with different habits and schedules all living under the one roof, the power bill is sure to hike up. Smart homes offer the benefit of being able to monitor and automate electricity use. A smart air conditioning system like MyAir helps families save costs with motion sensors that detect when a room has been empty for 20 minutes and automatically adjust the target temperature by 2 degrees. This small adjustment can reduce the room’s energy use by 20%.
MyAir also uses clever zoning to help the home see further savings. The average home has 10 rooms and the standard air conditioning system has only 4 or 5 zones. This means if all your bedrooms are in one zone, all rooms must be air conditioned, even when some are not in use, which wastes energy. Unlike a standard system, MyAir divides your home in up to 10 zones – one for every room – which allows you to heat or cool only the room you’re using.
Baby Boomers
The same report by Wakefield Research mentioned above found that Baby Boomers would also be willing to pay more for smart technology in their homes, particularly for security purposes. With 65% of this group of 65+ citizens citing the importance of smart technology in the home, we can see that a good chunk of elderly people are still placing emphasis on future proofing their homes and creating their ultimate comfort zone.
And only last year, Advantage Air worked with a handful of Queensland lifestyle estates and retirement villages installing our smart home technologies into their homes. This was an exciting time for our company and goes to show that you’re never too old or too young to add smart technology to your home.
Adding Peace of Mind with MyPlace
One of the retirement villages we helped was Sundale Group on the Sunshine Coast. Sundale places emphasis on bringing online crucial infrastructure to meet the community’s needs well into the future and had plans to add new technology to help their elders live more fulfilling, active and safe lives.
This meant providing technological innovations that delivered a benefit to their residents. They were looking for technologies that incorporated air conditioning, lighting and security – and MyPlace by Advantage Air met the brief. So far, 17 units have been installed with both MyPlace and MyAir, with a projected 1000+ home builds planned over the next 5 years.
Similarly, Halcyon Greens in Gainsborough Greens offers the homeowners in their over 50s golf and residential community 5-star resort style facilities and amenities – which now includes Advantage Air’s smart air conditioning system. With over 550 homes in the estate, Advantage Air’s MyAir was selected as a standard and MyPlace as an optional upgrade.
So now thanks to Advantage Air, these Baby Boomers can enjoy complete comfort and added security with MyPlace. MyWelcome and MyGoodbye gives total control with one touch. MyWelcome turns on all the lights you’d like to come home to and MyGoodbye turns off all the lights when you leave. Both are customisable so you can arrive home safely and get out the door easier.
Better yet, you can even make it appear like you’re home while you’re on holiday with our MyPlace smartphone app. This allows you to control the lighting to any room from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection via your smartphone.
MyPlace and MyAir can easily be incorporated into any new home build or established home. Reach out to our technical experts today.