Buying a home is no small feat. After all, you’re investing a lot of time and money into your new house so you want to make sure you are getting the best deal for your money! One great way to find a home that has a high return on investment is to look for smart home devices when going to open houses.

Smart home devices are useful for a variety of reasons, including keeping watch on your home while you're away and streamlining your kitchen to make cooking and cleaning much easier. And when it comes to safety, having an home outfitted with alarm systems, security cameras automatic locks can’t be beat. So what devices do consumers love the most, and how do these trends affect the smart home industry? Check out the deep dive from Hippo on smart home device statistics below.

To find out more about the smart home industry, and what homebuyers can expect to find pre-installed in future homes, the team at Hippo surveyed consumers across the nation. They discovered that overall, consumers have a clear reason for why they choose to buy their devices.

When asked why homeowners use smart technology, the answer was clear. Almost half of those surveyed (46%) said that they use smart home devices mainly for convenience, while 17% use them for home monitoring, 16% use them for added security and 15% use them to lower their utility bills. All of these reasons are not only great for homeowners, but for home buyers as well. By buying a home with these devices already installed, they can be sure their investment has the utmost level of protection from day one.

Hippo also asked about individual devices, to determine what devices provide the most protection. Homeowners ranked fire and theft alarm systems as the most protective smart home device they can install in their home (at 34%). Cameras (31%), video doorbells (16%), water shutoff valves (8%), automatic locks (7%) and water sensors (4%) followed behind.

So now that you have a better understanding of just how important these smart home devices are, you may be wondering which devices are worth installing in your home. Whether you are planning to put your house on the market, or just bought a home and want to make some updates, the following smart home devices are definitely worth the money.

Did you know that 12% of water entering homes is wasted because of leaks? From faulty pipes to hoses accidentally left on, wasted water can lead to a huge spike in your utility bills (not to mention it’s bad for the environment). But this doesn’t mean you have to go around checking the pipes in your home each night. Simply install a few water leak detectors that will monitor your pressure for you 24/7, that way you’ll know immediately if something’s wrong.

Other devices like smart fridges and water heaters can save you hundreds of dollars each money, both because they are more energy efficient and because they can alert you to a small issue before it turns major. For a full list of smart home tech you should install in your home, check out the graphic below.

Though a fully automated home may not be in the cards anytime soon, we are definitely closer than we have ever been. And without spending much money at all, you can deck out your home with the latest devices that will make your life easier and increase your home’s value too. Interested in more information on smart homes? Check out Hippo’s blog for the latest news and advice.