Exeter becoming a smart home hub in its own right

As we slowly but surely run more and more aspects of our day to day life through our gadgets, and particularly our smartphones, the “smart home” concept is shifting from the realms of science fiction to an accepted part of everyday life. This is true across the country, but Exeter, in particular, is becoming a centre of smart home technology.

Research carried out by Halifax towards the end of last year showed that Exeter is one of the top ten locations in the country in terms of house price growth, with a year-on-year rise of more than nine percent. The city’s open spaces and fresh air have proved a beacon for Londoners who want a higher quality of life in a location that retains reliable transportation links to the capital. Exeter ticks all the boxes.

New developments for discerning buyers

Exeter saw 3,000 new arrivals last year from London alone. The interesting thing about these west country migrants is that they are discerning buyers, typically with above-average budgets for the right property. As such, Exeter is seeing growth, but of a very specific type. Its new residents are both wealthy and technologically savvy – as such, IoT connectivity is a key part of the city’s booming property market.

Smart payments

One of the most exciting Internet of Things innovations surrounds IOTA. This is a cryptocurrency, a little like Bitcoin or Ethereum, but built within the Internet of Things ecosystem. It is designed to make the entire smart home experience even more seamless, allowing payments between IoT devices without the need to venture anywhere near your debit card or bank account.

Smart home innovations

The phrase “smart home” conjures images of the voice-activated systems with which we are rapidly becoming familiar turning your house or flat into a real-world equivalent of the Star Ship Enterprise – where lights, heating, entertainment systems and so on can all be controlled with a verbal command. That, however, is only part of the story.

The core tenet of the Internet of Things is connectivity. Having every part of your home as part of a single, connected system means far more than just the ability to turn on the oven with a verbal command. By combining this connectivity by the artificial intelligence that is implicit in the word “smart”, your home can essentially make its own judgement calls on what to do and when to do it.

For example, it can use information from your smartphone to know where you are and when you are likely to be home and make the necessary preparations, ensuring the heating is on and recording your preferred TV shows if you are running late. Advances in smart labelling allow sensors to identify what is in the fridge and cupboard – so your home can even check what groceries you need and order them online while you are at work.

The smart homes era is still in its infancy but is set to grow exponentially over the coming decade. These are exciting times – and Exeter lies right at the epicentre.