Collectively, we’ve loved the idea of a smart home for decades. It’s appeared in everything from “Jetsons” cartoon to Ray Bradbury’s 1950s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains.” It’s left us dreaming of the day when our houses can do everything for us.

The technology isn’t quite there yet, but smart home trends are becoming more common every year. What smart home trends can you expect to see in construction in the coming years?

Smart Power Management

Power management is something that, until recently, homeowners did passively if they paid any attention to it at all. Most people didn’t think twice about their power bill until it started to climb.

But the push for energy-efficient and eco-friendly homes has led homeowners to look more closely at their power bills and figure out how they can reduce their power usage.

Smart power strips give homeowners the option to monitor power usage for anything plugged into the strip, but that only works for items that are safe to plug into extension cords. Instead of putting their homes at risk, we will likely see a trend that includes these smart sockets installed directly into the home.

With a solid Wi-Fi signal, the homeowner can monitor power usage at every single outlet. Smart plugs are an option for retrofitting existing properties, but incorporating them into a new project from the ground up will become more common.

Control at Your Fingertips

The biggest benefit of smart technology is convenience. As a consumer, it’s incredibly useful to be able to close your garage door, turn your lights on and off, or preheat your oven, all from the comfort of your smartphone.

The sale of smart thermostats grew 125% in 2015. That market alone will likely be worth $4.7 billion in 2021 — and that doesn’t even include the growing variety of smart lights and other appliances.

The next major smart home trend we’re going to see takes this concept to the next level by integrating complete control of the entire home into a single closed network. This means the user can access and manage every smart device in their home from a single app.

Supporting LEED Certification

Energy efficiency is great, but for those truly eco-conscious homebuyers, offering LEED-certified properties goes above and beyond.

Earning that LEED certification is the gold standard of energy efficiency and sustainability in the construction industry. It includes the location of the property, how water-efficient it is, how much energy it uses, the materials included in its construction, and more.

Smart technology helps support these LEED certifications in a number of ways, many of which we’ve already mentioned. The best way to support energy efficiency and make it easier to secure that LEED certification is to install smart technology from the ground up or offer installation plans that retrofit existing properties.

Expect Tech-Savvy Homebuyers

One important thing to remember is that if you’re talking to a potential client about their dream smart home, you’re not dealing with out-of-date members of the Boomer generation. Expect to work with tech-savvy homebuyers who know exactly what they want.

A good rule of thumb here is to treat homebuyers like they know what they’re talking about and only offer explanations if they’re requested. The fastest way to chase potential clients away is to treat them like they’re stupid or like you know everything.

It’s Adapt or Be Left Behind

The home building industry is changing fast. Smart homes used to be science-fiction, but they’re quickly becoming mainstream. Companies that want to continue thriving will need to adapt or they will find themselves left behind.

Author Bio: Jane is an environmental writer who covers topics in sustainable construction and green building materials and the editor-in-chief of Environment.co.

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