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Today's news feeds seem to feature endless articles on the promise of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
It can be both awe-inspiring and a little scary.
The technology that can turn your house or apartment into a "smart home" is just as cool and can be an excellent investment, helping to increase value when the time comes to sell.
While buyers may pay a premium for this technology, knowing how to create a smart home can be confusing.
Here are five ideas to get you started.
Lights
An ideal first step, smart lights are relatively cheap, and they're as easy to install as changing a light bulb. By downloading an app to run them, you'll be able to control energy use and set mood lighting easily. They're a smart play for outdoor lighting, too.
Thermostat
Accounting for almost 50% of thermostat sales across Canada now, you should be able to benefit financially from this smart device. You can program energy usage based on occupancy times in your home to ensure the AC or heater isn't running while the place is empty.
Security
You can impress many buyers with security equipment that's surprisingly cheap and easy to install. Video doorbells like Ring and Nest are just the start of the journey. Your home is likely to sell almost a week faster than average if it features security technology.
Keys
Front door keys are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Smart door locks allow entry with a voice command or a fingerprint scan. You can also open the door remotely if you need to let in a housekeeper or service person.
Appliances
So much has been written about smart refrigerators and washing machines. Scanning food items placed into a fridge and when they're removed means you can get alerts when you're out of cheese or juice. Washing machine and dryer cycles can be managed remotely on your phone.