What new technology will we have in our homes in 2030?

Did you know that back in 1989 the BBC technology show Tomorrow’s World looked at what the average UK home of 2020 would look like?  It's crazy to think that back then mobile phone's weren't the norm - in fact you were deemed well ahead of the time if your landline phone had a long cord to allow you to chat, let alone a cordless handset!  It's scary how much has changed since then and even scarier to think that 1989 was 31 years ago!  Eek - moving swiftly on.....

Tomorrow's World's predictions were hit and miss, but they did forecast technology would play a huge part in how we lived.

For instance, they said we’d be able to control our lighting, music and heating by voice commands - correct - see Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.).  That our homes would be more energy efficient (we’re certainly working on that) and that our windows would be able to turn into TV screens at the flick of a switch (not quote but the flatscreen is certainly close enough).

It's crazy how much has changed, and as we ease into this brand new decade, people who look ahead to see how technology will shape our lives (they’re called futurists), have been making some predictions of their own for the homes of 2030's.  I'm especially excited about number 4!

These include:

1. No more keys – facial, fingerprint and voice recognition that opens your doors could become commonplace meaning that the scramble to find your keys becomes a thing of the past.  Could we also see burglary rates fall?
2. Modular Homes – think LEGO on a grander scale. Futurists suggest technology will make it possible for people to increase or reduce the size of their property to fit their needs - umm not sure I like this as an estate agent!
3. E-cars - electric vehicles and charging points will become the norm. As our homes become smarter at storing energy, futurists predict we will also be able to share surplus power with our neighbours more easily.  All great for the environment.
4. Technology free rooms – people will start seeking refuge from gadgets in low tech, screen-free ‘quiet’ spaces.  How the worm is turning!
5. Wow Wardrobes – struggling to choose what to wear? Smart wardrobes will receive data from your schedule and weather updates to suggest what clothes you own that are best suited to your day ahead.

The big changes will involve what happens in our homes, not how they look from the outside and I personally feel that whilst we are of course using technology to make life easier, we are also becoming hypersensitive to what we are losing in amongst this outpouring of tech.  Meeting friends in person, talking rather than texting, and taking time off all seem to be losing ground and people are noticing and coming back to basis which is just great.  As wonderful as technology can and will be, at Sacha Scott we never forget our clients love ‘old fashioned’ things like courtesy, personal service and expert local knowledge.

Here's hoping that in the next decade we roll back some of the technology that is making it easier for us to be isolated whilst bringing out technology that continues to improve the way we use our world's resources and gives back to our planet.  To make our next decade a good one for us and future generations, commit to dropping one thing that does it harm.  Perhaps plastic?   Or setting a time limit for when you should walk rather than drive - eg the school run.  Or even just turning lights and radiators off in rooms that don't get used often.  Every little helps.

Thanks for reading, I hope this new decade has been kind to you so far.