Photo by Andrey Bryzgalov via Shutterstock
We’ve learned to use voice controls in our cars for hands-free calling, but what about in our homes? Alexa, Google Assistant, Echo and Siri are for more than simply using your voice to switch on the lights or control the temperature. Here are more ways to control your home with the sound of your voice.
With a robotic mop or vacuum controlled by your device or remotely from your smartphone, you can wipe up spills or clean up the pet hair while you’re at work.
Appliances plugged into outlets use a surprising amount of power throughout the day. But if your device connects to a smart power strip, you can turn off individual outlets from a distance. That way, the slow cooker starts right on time but doesn’t waste power all day. Or set outlets on a timer so that your bedroom fan turns on just before bedtime, or the television automatically shuts off when it’s time for the kids to go to sleep.
When you’re at home and can get to it, you’ll answer the door. But what if your 9-year-old lost their keys and can’t get in after school. Or you’re in the kitchen kneading bread when your mother-in-law pops over. You can see who’s there or open the door with your smart device and a smart lock on the door. Now, when the package arrives, you can arrange for internal delivery. Let your buddies in without missing the big play. It’s all under your command. You can even lock the door just in case you forgot before you went to bed. Call out and let your voice handle it.
Retrofitting your home to be a smart home can increase its value, so be sure your agent knows all the things your home can do.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
