Did you know that there are now robotic vacuum cleaners that can clean your rooms by itself, with the ability to change direction and detect dirt spots, while preventing itself from falling down stairs? You might be surprised at your options for future house technology. Here are four interesting future housing trends we have seen, that you might be interested in incorporating into your home.
1. Radiant Driveways
Do you live in a part of the country where it snows for at least half the year? One interesting emerging home technology is the heated driveway, that melts any snow or ice that lands on it. This technology allows sidewalks and driveways to essentially shovel themselves in terms of what work is involves in the winter. Not only does this reduce labor, but it lowers the risk of a fall!
2. Zero Electricity Bills
Some companies, including KB Homes, are already able to produce houses that supposedly have no electricity bills. How does it work? These homes have extra insulation, solar paneled roofs to collect energy, and dual paned windows in addition to other energy efficient appliances. Even if you do not want to invest in solar paneled homes, increased understanding of insulation and energy efficiency means that homes can be 125% more energy efficient than the average home built just ten years ago. The average future houses might have even lower bills than this.
3. Ethanol Fireplace
Have you ever wanted a fireplace in your home but had no desire to pay thousands of dollars to install one? Ethanol fireplaces, though they give real flames, do not require chimneys and can be installed in any part of a room. These fireplaces use small tanks that can be filled with ethanol or other biofuels. Many of these fireplaces are portable, and some are so small they can sit on a table top. They are often used in modern home designs.
4. Virtual Views
Did you know that looking at nature has been shown to reduce stress? Virtual views are one option for improving the mood and lighting in rooms that lack great views or windows. These digital windows can be placed on the ceiling, wall, or any other surface, and can show anything from a natural sky to an underwater world. Future houses could have digital windows that have the ability to show multiple scenes, depending on your mood.
How would you design your future house? Let us know in the comments!