Are you thinking of creating a smart home? What’s stopping you? Do you think it’s too hard? Or too expensive?

It’s not.

These are just two of the many myths stopping customers like you from turning their home into a truly smart home.

We’re spending more time indoors than ever before and are looking at more ways to stay entertained and to stay productive.

One project you can take on is DIY home improvements by adding a range of smart products that offer automated convenience, increased security and privacy, and savings on power and water usage.

The smart home market, also known as the Internet of Things, because devices can communicate with each other, is worth almost $5 billion in Australia.

The Laser range of Smart Home products have all been developed with full integration with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa so that will fit in to whichever ecosystem you are plugged into.

They are also easy to setup individually without the need for a central hub. They just connect directly to your wi-fi.

But let’s bust those myths that might be holding you back from getting started creating a smart home.

MYTH 1 – A SMART HOME IS EXPENSIVE

This couldn't be further from the truth.

You can get started for as little as $10 with the Laser Smart Home Basic White Bulb and for less than $100 you could even get a camera, some lights, and a switch.

For example, Bob – who lives by himself in a one-bedroom rental apartment - spends less than $100 for an indoor camera, LED strip lights and a switch.

Now he can change the mood lighting, turn on his electric blanket, smart thermostat and keep an eye on his cleaner or his housemates - if he had any.

Another example is Trevor, who owns a three-bedroom house with two kids, a wife, and a dog.

For less than $1000 he can buy a video doorbell, lights, outdoor security camera, a pet feeder, lawn water controller and a smart lock.

So now he can feed his dog, secure his home when he's not there, water the lawns at the same time every day and even let the cleaner in.

And it was all connected on his own using his home wireless network.

MYTH 2 – SMART HOMES ARE HARD TO SET UP

As long as you have a Wi-Fi network, adding smart home products is really simple.

The companion app for all the Laser Smart Home products gives you a step-by-step guide on how to connect the device.

Often, it's just a matter of scanning a QR code (something we're all used to nowadays) for the product to be recognized and linked to your home network.

And the great thing is that once you've connected one product, it's the same process to add any number of others to your home network to really make your home smarter than ever before.

MYTH 3 – SMART HOME PRODUCTS ARE UNSAFE

Smart home products that are connected to your home network protected by your network's security and the app to control them through your smartphone also requires a password.

A smart home device, like everything else that comes with the username and password, if it is set up correctly and securely you have nothing to worry about.

The Laser Smart Home app is also hosted by AWS (Amazon Web Services) servers which is always up and active and with rigorous security.

For those who are skeptical about video created by doorbells and cameras and where it resides, there is nothing to worry about because the footage is stored on a local SD card and not in the cloud.

The Laser Smart Home range has also passed EMC standards and carries the electrical safety mark which means they are suitable for the Australian household.

MYTH 4 – SMART HOME DEVICES USE A LOT OF ELECTRICITY

Quite the opposite actually.

In fact, having smart lights and switches can save you money because they can be set to turn off and on at certain times or, with the addition of a sensor, only when it detects movement in that room.

Yes, smart home devices are always on, but they are simply listening for a signal to activate or record or send an alert. Data use is also quite minimal.

MYTH 5 – SMART HOME PRODUCTS ONLY WORK WITH THE SAME BRAND

Laser Smart Home products can work with many other brands in the market when they are on the same home network.

They can also be added, unified, and controlled through the Google Home and Alexa enabled apps.

The Laser range also come with guaranteed data security and system upgrades which means they won't become obsolete as new devices are added. This should give customers peace of mind.

CONCLUSION

Setting up a smart home is a great long-term investment that doesn't cost the earth and that's surprisingly easy to set up.

Smart home devices can save you time and money, keep you and your family safe and secure and make life just that little bit easier.

At a time when we are spending more time working and learning from home than ever before, a smart home can also help you increase your productivity and efficiency.

It's time to make the move!