Flying cars, robot butlers, and Star Trek-style transportation systems: We’ve seen some pretty wacky projections for homes of the future over the years. Realistically, the house of the future envisaged by the sci-fi fanatic was never going to happen during our lifetime. But this doesn’t mean the homes of the future we’ll be seeing soon enough won’t be impressive in their own way.
You simply have to gauge your expectations a little more realistically!
According to the pages of a new report entitled “Futurology: The New Home in 2050,” the house of the future is all about smart technology for homes. The kinds of smart homes where intelligent hardware and software make automatic decisions on things like security, heating, shopping, and so on
The smart technology homes of the future
As the world deals with a rapidly expanding and ageing population, architects expect to see growing demand for multi-generational properties to accommodate various generations in one household. This will require greater flexibility and adaptability than ever before in order to accommodate the changing needs of the property’s occupants.
Builders and architects are also already planning a future where homes capitalise on vertical space, occupying as little horizontal ground space as possible. This will enable areas of high demand to support much larger populations with the creation of compact homes with multiple stories to accommodate those within.
Technologically, we’ll undoubtedly see a continuation of the smart home trend already making its mark. Industry watchers expect to see more homes than ever before collecting and storing their own energy with renewable methods while more effectively utilising and recycling their own water supplies.
Smarter technology in general will significantly reduce the average household’s energy consumption requirements and carbon footprint. In fact, sustainability in general is expected to represent a growing area of importance for builders and developers over the years to come. Homes able to reduce their impact on the environment will potentially qualify for attractive incentives from local and national government offices.
It may also be possible for the home of the future to play a more direct role in overseeing the health and wellbeing of its occupants. Particularly where elderly residents are concerned, smart technology could be used to look for warning signs of ill-health and report directly to the relevant medical professionals. If a person were to collapse, the house itself could immediately call for an ambulance.
Smart refrigerators and storage devices are already warning households when stocks are running low and creating virtual shopping lists. Sooner or later, households will come to rely on completely automated systems that order and organise the delivery of everything they need before ever even realising they need it.
It’s also entirely likely that working from home will become an even more prominent fixture for the average household in the future. It’s already possible to communicate and collaborate with teams from any location worldwide via a basic computer and webcam. The more sophisticated computer technology and IT security become, the broader the scope for getting the job done from home.
Last but not least, the complete automation of home comfort, convenience, and entertainment systems is already happening. From window dressings to fireplaces to music systems to lighting to heating and so on, personal preferences can be met via voice assistants, facial recognition technology, and simple automated timers. Once again, the idea is that the home of the future will know what it is you want before you even realise it yourself!
Exactly how all the above affects the future of house prices remains to be seen, but it nonetheless paints a pretty impressive picture of what’s to come.