However you look at it, our homes and technology are becoming more intertwined by the day.
From voice-activated assistants that help you adjust the lighting in your living room without getting off the sofa, to fridges that can tell you what to cook for dinner based on the ingredients inside, the opportunity for smarter living is everywhere.
But we at Real Homes realise that not everyone understands the smart home revolution and many are confused by the bewildering array of choice in products and services.
In fact, a recent survey we conducted found 39 per cent of people didn’t know what a connected home was; 31 per cent didn’t understand how to connect everything together; and a staggering 70 per cent don’t know what their smart assistant is capable of. Security is a key concern, with 50 per cent worrying about how their data will be used. We feel your pain.
That’s why Real Homes and our sister brand Homebuilding & Renovating have joined forces with the UK’s leading technology brands – TechRadar and T3 – to bring you a month of unique, useful and, hopefully, incredibly insightful articles, videos and seminars – all designed to help you find out more about this exciting and fast-growing world of life-empowering tech.
Not only will Real Homes be running regular news pieces, explainers and buying guides throughout October, but we’ll also have some special email newsletter takeovers landing in your inboxes (not a subscriber? Sign up here!), a really cool video made in conjunction with our friends at TechRadar, and the opportunity to visit our London Homebuilding & Renovating Show for live seminar content and the chance to meet a range of specialists – claim your free tickets here!
Look for the logo
We’ve made it really easy for you to identify National Smart Home Month content by creating a special logo (below), so every time this appears you’ll know that you’re reading an article that’s part of our themed month.
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Here’s a taster of what you can look forward to:
- Smarter Living – a jargon-free beginner’s guide in Real Homes magazine on easy ways to turn your house into a smart home;
- Focus On: Smart Appliances – a round-up of the best hi-tech kitchen gadgets and how they can make your life easier by Real Homes magazine;
- A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Smart Home – a 10-minute video produced by the Real Homes Show and TechRadar explaining what a smart home is, why you need one and how to get started;
- The Smart Home Done Right – a 20-minute seminar at the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show on Friday 4 October;
- Making the Most of the Latest Smart Home Technologies in Your Home – a 60-minute seminar at the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show on Sunday 6 October;
- Find smart home tech solutions for every budget on Homebuilding.co.uk;
- Discover how to design a smarter home when self-building or renovating, and when to approach a smart home installer, in the November issue of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine.
So stick with Real Homes and our partner brands throughout October and we’ll ensure that by the time November starts you’ll be a certified smart home expert.
National Smart Home Month is a content collaboration between Real Homes, Homebuilding & Renovating, T3 and TechRadar and will run throughout October to raise awareness about the life-enhancing benefits of Smart Home technology. Follow our activity online or in our magazines or join us at the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show at London ExCeL on 4-6 October.
Lucy is Global Editor-in-Chief of Homes & Gardens having worked on numerous interiors and property titles. She was founding Editor of Channel 4’s 4Homes magazine, was Associate Editor at Ideal Home, before becoming Editor-in-Chief of Realhomes.com in 2018 then moving to Homes & Gardens in 2021. She has also written for Huffington Post, AOL, UKTV, MSN, House Beautiful, Good Homes, and many women’s titles. Find her writing about everything from buying and selling property, self build, DIY, design and consumer issues to gardening.
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