The Latest

  The sheer number of smart home gadget and home automation tools make it hard to decide what you want for your home. When new homeowners move into their new homes, they ask our team for recommendations. While we can't begin to list them all, new residents appreciate these the most. Google Home or Amazon Echo We want to give you both options as you may have a preference for one over the other. If you're an Android and Chromebook user, Google Home may make more sense. On the other hand, fans of Amazon Prime, Kindles, and Fires may prefer Amazon Echo. Both do the same thing. They're home assistants that answer questions, do things, and support home automation. Ask them about unpredictable Dallas / Fort Worth weather, how the Dallas Cowboys or Texas Rangers fared, what's new in Dallas business, and check the traffic on your commute. Both listen for commands to play music, find entertainment, check your calendar, manage your house appliances and lights, and order pizza. On top of all this, they're compatible with some of the following smart home gadgets and many others. Nest Learning Thermostat With Nest, you can make your home cooler or warmer from anywhere in the house or away from it. You can control the thermostat through your phone, tablet, or laptop. Because it learns your schedule and adapts based on your needs, it helps save energy and cut your energy bill. Stop waking up freezing or burning up. The Nest will ensure your home is always at the right temperature at the right time. Visit nest.com/works to see if it's compatible with your home's system. It can work with systems that are more than 25 years old. iRobot Braava Mopping Robot You already know about the Roomba, the self-managing vacuum cleaner. Nowadays, more homes are opting out of carpeting. Now you can mop the floor without doing the mopping. It has a built-in GPS to tell it know where it's been and where it needs to work. A little finger-lifting is required as you'll need to attach a cloth and press the button. The mopping robot works on vinyl, laminate, tile, hardwood, and other types of hard-surface floors. Philips Hue Wireless Lighting Philips makes a variety of wireless lighting products to enhance your home's lighting and mood. Products like the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit make things easier on you. Say you're in bed falling asleep and there's a lamp you need to turn off. You can turn it off with the app on your phone. You can also change its colors, have it dance to music, and do much more. There's even a light strip that comes in different colors and can be placed under furniture, cabinets, and coves to add highlights. You can shape, bend, and extend the strip. Many third party apps are available to extend Philips Hue. Etekcity Wireless Remote Control Electrical Outlet Switch We own so many gadgets and appliances today. They're all plugged in and wasting a lot of energy when not in use. No more unplugging appliances. This small and affordable item that can take care of that for you. Just use the remote to prolong the life of your appliance and use less energy. One remote can control multiple outlets. And multiple remotes can control one outlet. The remote's signal has a 100-foot wireless range that works through walls and doors. It does not require any hubs or apps. Just the remote and adapter. Or if you want a similar product that has an app and works with a home assistant, take a look at the TP-Link Smart Plug. You can benefit from home automation with these smart home gadgets. And they'd be a great addition to your home especially with Sandlin Homes' eco-friendly home features.