There are so many benefits of living in a tiny home, they are too numerous to mention in one article.
‍

Whether it is financial savings, an alternative way of life or the freedom to live without clutter, a tiny home is not just a
choice about the size of your property, it is a way of life. In our article titled What to Look for in a Tiny House, we
explained how sourcing your own materials for a build, and having total creative control were other choices that not
only influenced the overall aesthetic but reflected your vision and choices too. Indeed, tiny homes are on the rise, with
an estimated 10,000 across the United States, a number which increases every year.
‍

Another aspect of the home which is seeing a sharp rise is smart technology. A smart home is a home containing
appliances and gadgets connected by the internet which help functionality, leisure and energy consumption. Within a
tiny home, smart technology does have a place, but there are some aspects to consider that might not be applicable
to a full-size property. One of the most important aspects of a smart home, which may be a problem in a tiny home, is
internet connectivity. An article on HomeServe Living outlines that you need a reliable internet connection for smart
homes to function properly, and some tiny homes may be in locations which do not benefit from such luxuries. Make
sure you check this before either buying or building a tiny home if you intend to implement smart technology within
the project.
‍

If you are internet-ready in your tiny home and want to pick the right gadgets for your way of life, we have three which
will certainly be of significant benefit.

‍
Glass

‍
Within a tiny property, environment management is critical. In a full-sized home, the bedroom can be kept cooler than
the rest of the house, due to being separate. In a tiny home, that is less likely, and therefore smart technology used to
control the environment is certainly useful. Smart windows are one gadget a tiny home can use. A smart window can
react to the sunlight upon it, tinting to block out excess heat, even incorporating smart blinds that close in the
evening. Internally, you could use smart glass which tints when someone enters a room, such as a bathroom. This
would allow you to have a glass-walled bathroom, opening space, which turned opaque when someone went in,
which have already been a success in major cities such as Tokyo.
‍

Heating

‍
Remaining on the environmental theme, smart heating is certainly useful within a tiny home. Being able to remotely
control your heating system is useful in any size home, but having a heating system which learns your routine is also
energy efficient. One of the unique selling points of a tiny home is environmental impact, so any smart technology
which plays into that is certainly useful. If you want to get really smart, then you could use solar panels and a smart
heating system to not only collect energy to heat your home but disperse it into the house depending on the
temperature outside. In conjunction with smart glass windows, it would turn your tiny home into a responsive unit that
reacts depending on the temperature both outside and inside the property.
‍

Security

‍
Security is always important, whatever size your home is. Some smart security tech, such as a drone, will patrol your
house when you are out. That might not be relevant for a tiny home, but a static camera would still deliver a little
peace of mind when you are not in. You may consider a smart doorbell too, again for use when you are not there. In
a tiny home you will hear a knock on the door wherever you are, but if you are out a smart doorbell often incorporates
a camera, so you can see who is at your door, even if you are shopping. That peace of mind is important, especially
as Mercury News reports it is entirely possible, with lifting equipment, to simply steal some tiny homes.

Conclusion

‍
Not all smart tech is important in a tiny home; gadgets which have multiple room functionality certainly would not be
of use in your tiny home. Depending on the type of build you have, there will be smart tech for you. Smart glass,
lighting, security and kitchen appliances may all have uses, as would external smart tech such as a lawnmower. Each
build will have different specifications and hence differing smart tech needs, but a tiny home can still be furnished with
the latest gadgets at your discretion.

‍