One Family Shares Their Smart-Home Upgrade Story

It all started with replacing track lighting from the 1980s and installing in-wall speakers when the Johnsons moved into their 1907 Edwardian home in San Francisco. Today, Sue and Jason Johnson have 25 apps related to their home.

“Thanks to the apps and the Internet-connected devices they talk to, [they] can—from anywhere with cell service—control pretty much every system in the house,” This Old House reports. “Including locks, lighting, heat, music, motion and smoke detection, plant irrigation, video surveillance, and, yes, canine feeding.”

Mr. Johnson, founder of smart lock company August, says the smart home upgrades were done primarily for convenience, and then there’s the “whimsy and magic.” But an extra bonus is the amount they can conserve in the long run, both energy and costs.

"When I see a light on, water flowing, or heat coming on, to me, that's money," Jason tells This Old House. "It's in my DNA not to waste anything."

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