Top home tech trends for 2022: Central Coast family says home tech makes life smoother

With two years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, many people have invested in home technology. Check out how the tech makes life smoother for a coast family and see the top 10 trends of 2022.

From self-cleaning toilets to home light simulations and smart locks, home technology trends are continuing to take off in 2022.

During the pandemic, many home buyers have been keen to not only increase the value of their home but also save time, money and energy.

A North Avoca family embraces any new technology that makes life run smoother. Jeremy and Cherie Hudson have always had the latest technology so long as it is useful for their day to day lives.

“For us it’s about buying stuff that’s really useful and makes life run smoother and better for us,” Mr Hudson said.

Jeremy and Cherie Hudson, of North Avoca, love the convenience of home technology.

Mr Hudson, a photographer and commercial director, has had a keen eye for the latest and best technology since he was a young child.

“It all started when I was five, it’s been in my blood,” he said.

“If it’s useful I will use it, I don’t just buy stuff for the hell of it.”

The Hudson household has everything from pet feeders on a timer and wireless doorbells to security cameras that talk to Alexa and six different Alexas connected to wireless speakers that control various devices.

“If the TV’s on, kids are screaming, your brains about to pop and you can’t find the TV remote, it’s ideal,” Mr Hudson said. “The kids also love it.”

Jeremy and Cherie Hudson’s glass projector on the deck.

The projector at night.

They also have a frosted sheet on the deck, initially to provide light to the room below, which has a projector that can show anything from a fireplace to photos or the television.

Mr Hudson said there was many cost saving options for home technology.

“We also have solar on the roof,” he said. “The only problem is sometimes the more tech you get the more problems you can have if it goes wrong. So I generally stick to what I know will last.”

Upside Realty director of sales James Kirkland said the standards were being raised when it comes to home tech.

Upside Realty’s director of sales James Kirkland said many home buyers were raising their standards when it comes to the technology they’re looking for in a new home.

“Buyers are increasingly expecting smart, environmentally friendly appliances in a home often due to the fact it saves potential buyers on energy and power bills,” he said.

“Almost seven per cent of Australians believe energy efficiency ratings are important when buying, building or renting.

“Other things we are seeing are home security cameras, digital door locks, self cleaning toilets and digital ovens.”

Top 10 home tech trends in 2022

■ Smart locks: Keyless entry, no more forgetting your key, locking yourself out and the ability to let tradespeople or family members into your home remotely.

■ Integrated alarm technology: Keep an eye on your home via a smartphone app while at work or on holiday, and see who is at the door from your phone.

■ Smart thermostats: Offering zoning capabilities so you are only heating and cooling rooms when they are in use, and you can adjust the timing and temp from your smartphone.

■ Home light simulation: Lighting that senses the presence of people in a home, saving on energy and only lighting a room when someone enters.

■ Self cleaning toilets: Enabled functions that cleans and disinfects the toilet bowl without human scrubbing.

Example of a self cleaning toilet.

■ Digital microwaves and ovens: View, monitor and adjust the temperature as your dinner cooks.

■ Motorised window treatments: Blinds that can open and close on command or on a schedule, adjusting room brightness according to the time of day.

■ Clean tech: Built in air purifying systems that detect pollutants, adjust its fan speed and deliver cleaner air in your home.

■ Home automation: A system that lets you group all of your smart devices into one app to make managing appliances a lot easier.

■ Home security cameras with a mechanical privacy shutter. A popular basic preventive measure that offers peace of mind to a smart home.