How to turn your vacation home into a smart home

The rapid rise of the smart home (aka “smarthome”) has also impacted the vacation rental industry during the COVID 19 pandemic. Smart technologies have made it possible to increase guest safety and helped landlords achieve better occupancy rates.

The benefits of smart-home gadgets are many, helping to increase vacation home value, simplify management and optimize energy consumption. In this guide for rental landlords, we’ll tell you how to make your accommodation “smart”. This way you will increase your bookings, the satisfaction of your guests and your ratings on vacation portals.

What is a “smart home”?

A smart home is a property that is equipped with autonomous systems and technologies. These take many tasks off your hands and optimize the operation and cost of your property. The networked devices and functions of a smart home can be easily controlled via an app on your smartphone (or other device with an internet connection).

Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), electronic devices such as home appliances, locks, security systems, etc. can be connected to the Internet. Although smart home applications are not yet used in many homes, this technology has a future. More and more manufacturers and builders are choosing to include smart features when building homes.

Smart home: the intelligent home

When it comes to vacation rentals, smart home systems are a great help with management, guest reception, cleaning, check-in and check-out, and guest communication. Hosts, owners, and managers who use their smart home with a management software or channel manager can provide a unique and high-quality service while reducing their organizational overhead.

An example of the great benefits of smart technologies in tourism is the great success of smart locks and similar services. They are also a great way to attract more guests, as smart locks greatly simplify access to vacation accommodations. Many hosts are already using this type of integration, and with new travel and security protocols, many will join.

These are the benefits of using a smart home for vacation rentals

Not only will a smart home help you better manage your duties as a host, but your guests will notice the difference. You’ll have less work to do and stand out from your competitors.

Improve the security of your vacation accommodation

We’ve already mentioned that the security aspect is one of the benefits of having a smart home. This is one of the main reasons why smart technologies continue to grow and are expected to increase by 203% by 2023, according to a recent study. When you create smart access to your vacation home with an electronic lock, it makes you and your guests feel safer.

It also eliminates the hassle of handing over keys when each guest arrives and departs. Electronic locks allow contactless access through an access code created especially for them. This makes unpleasant situations such as lost keys or accidental lockouts a thing of the past.

Increase the value of your property

When you equip your vacation home or apartment with state-of-the-art technology, you increase the value of the property. This means not only that you get more money when you sell it, but also that you can charge higher prices for your upscale standard when renting it out.

More comfort for your guests

For many guests, not having to worry about check-in times and being able to access the property at any time through an access code is a huge convenience. In addition to easy check-in and the benefits of smart locks, there are other smart features such as voice control, automatic light, or heating control. Many guests are specifically looking for the convenience of being able to control networked devices in the home with their smartphone.

Economical and environmentally friendly

A smart home is very energy-efficient, even if it doesn’t look that way at first glance. By using energy-saving light bulbs, temperature controllers or energy-saving sockets, it is possible to save on electricity costs. This is a great advantage for hosts in the low season, for example, so that they do not have to pay the full consumption costs despite fewer bookings. With this intelligent home technology, consumption is reduced to what is needed.

Management from a distance

Managing a business remotely is a challenge that has become a reality for many people, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. When it comes to renting out vacation homes and apartments, owners and managers benefit from smart home solutions in this regard. Smoobu offers the perfect complement to smart technologies because it enables remote access to apartment data. Thanks to numerous integrations, cleaning services, for example, can be easily controlled from another country.

Inexpensive gadgets for a smart home

After everything you’ve read so far about smart homes, you’re probably thinking that it must be expensive to remodel a vacation home to make it fancy and smart. However, there are inexpensive electronic devices that can easily turn your home into a smart home.

Smart Locks

We’ve already pointed out the benefits of electronic locks, and they’re easy to install, too. Smart locks are perfect for vacation rentals and one of the safest ways to allow your guests access. Each guest is given a unique access code that is changed after they leave. It’s much more convenient than a key and can’t be lost or broken.

Robot vacuum cleaners

Robot vacuum cleaners are a great help in keeping the house clean and hygienic. They can be easily controlled through a mobile app. The robot vacuum helps keep the accommodation tidy in between cleaning services.

Smart lighting

LED lights and other smart lighting systems help you reduce electricity consumption. They’re a good option for homes that are unoccupied for long periods of time. For example, you can use an app to program them to turn on and off at specific times. That way, your abode looks like it’s occupied, and you’re protected from break-ins.

Smart thermostats

Smart thermostats are another way to control energy use and keep your electric bill down. For example, you can use an app to set a maximum temperature, so guests don’t use more energy than necessary.

Conclusion: the future of your vacation home is a smart home

The time will come when all our homes will have a smart system to make our lives easier. Vacation rentals are no exception. Using smart technologies in our daily lives allows us to save time and enjoy our lives more. With a combination of smart gadgets and management software like Smoobu, your vacation rental will manage itself.

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